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January 21, 2003
A: FROM MENTOR SNEZANA DALAFAVE
IN NJ
If this is a summer college course that lasts at least three
months, then by all means take it.
However, depending on a college, summer courses usually last
only 5-8 weeks, which is two to three times shorter than during
spring or fall sessions. In summer physics courses I teach,
we usually cover one week worth of material in just one 2.5
hour session. This is a lot of material to absorb.
Taking a physics course is not a very easy task at any time,
and this is specially true in the summer. Physics, and most
other sciences, really need time to sit and "ferment"
in your head. In the fall semester I sometimes teach a second
part of a course that students took elsewhere during the summer.
In my experience, most students don't remember much of what
they had learned during a shorter summer session.
If you plan to major in a science, I recommend you take all
your science and math courses during the regular school year
(fall-winter-spring).
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