Should college students take winter classes?

About the author

Hi there. I am the prolific professor with 15 years of experience teaching online and in-person. I have a graduate degree. I have a passion for education. But I’ve also worked in the professional world (outside of education) too. Thanks for visiting.

Are winter courses right for you?

College students, who like accelerated courses because of their fast-paced curriculum, should take a winter class. A winter class is right for college students that prefer smaller class sizes, a quiet campus and short semesters. You can graduate earlier by taking courses during your winter break and earn course credit in as little as three weeks at most institutions. However, students who prefer the hustle and bustle of a busy campus and access to resources should consider these disadvantages first. Most universities have reduced staff and hours during the winter break. This can lead to a lonely wintermester.

If you are anything like me, you want to plan out every detail of your college life.

Or you may want to get done with college faster by taking classes over the winter break.

I know you are probably asking yourself if it is worth it to take college classes during your winter break.

After all, don’t you want to spend that time relaxing and being with family?

But I will give you some information to help you make that decision.

I was a professor for 15 years, with lots of experience.

And I even taught winter classes too so I can give you the details to help make your decision easier.

What is a winter class?

Most universities have a winter break in between their long semesters. Most long semesters are roughly 16 weeks long. Most colleges call their semesters fall and spring. Well, to break up the semesters, and give students time off for the holidays in December, the college takes a long break between terms.

Usually, the break is around 1 month.

During this time, some colleges allow students to take a class during this short break. Sometimes they call these wintermesters.

This means that a college student could earn credit for a course in as little as three weeks.

You should pause for a moment and think about it.

One class, in three weeks, and you get college credit for it.

Sounds like a no brainer, right?

Well, not quite. There are lots of pros to taking a winter class, but there are also some cons.

While I taught winter classes, they may not be for every college student.

Let’s talk about it a little more and you’ll be on your way to making a decision on taking winter classes.

What is a winter session?

A winter session is the same thing as a wintermester. Some colleges may call it a wintermester, a winter class, or a wintersession but they usually all mean the same thing. The course is completed during the winter break, between a fall and spring semester. Most winter classes are about three weeks long. And you typically get holidays off too.

Are winter classes more expensive?

In the United States, the tuition is the same for a winter class when you compare it to any other course you take. The length of the semester doesn’t change the cost of a credit hour. There could be some strange circumstances that could change the price of a winter class, but I have never heard of tuition (per credit hour) being any different for a course taught in the winter.

Do winter classes effect your G.P.A.?

Winter classes will effect your G.P.A. the same way classes taken during the long semester will. I have never seen universities in the United States treat winter classes any differently. They should count like any other class you take. If you are concerned, you could contact your college and ask if they are weighted any differently. But it would be news to me if they were.

Pros and Cons of taking winter classes

Advantages of taking a winter class

Quick

You are in and out of the course in just a few weeks.

This gives you time to focus on other things, like internships or a part-time job rather than coursework later.

Some students can complete winter classes in lieu of summer classes to graduate early.

Wouldn’t you rather soak up the sun during the summer instead of sitting in a classroom?

If you take winter classes, when it’s usually cold and gloomy outside, you can enjoy your summers instead.

And if you take accelerated courses, you can get your degree finished faster.

This means you are on your way to graduation earlier.

The faster you graduate, the faster you can start earning money in a full-time career.

Retain information

When you are in a long semester, and you learned information in month 1, and then had to take a final exam months later over that information, it can be hard to remember it.

When you have the course condensed into a few weeks, it’s easier to remember what you learned a few days ago as opposed to a few weeks ago.

Not only will you do better on exams, but you can gain more knowledge.

Perform better

While it might not be true for everyone, some students might find that they make better grades in winter classes.

This is because the professor might change the grading structure of the course to accommodate an accelerated schedule.

For example, perhaps there are fewer assignments, or more focused assignments.

Maybe less exams, or one big project instead.

Either way, it may help some students earn better grades.

I suggest that you talk to the professor and ask for them to explain how the winter class is different than a regular term.

Quiet

If you are an introvert and don’t like crowded parking lots and busy hallways, winter classes will be for you.

Since most students are at home during the winter break, and professors go on vacation, you will see an empty campus.

If you find yourself dreading the busyness of college campuses, and can thrive in a fast-paced environment, winter classes will be for you.

Smaller class sizes

Since a lot of students don’t take winter classes, the class sizes are usually smaller.

You may like smaller classes sizes because you are more one-on-one with your professor.

Also, you could be more likely to participate in class discussions because there are fewer students in the class.

All of these things could be winter classes more appealing to some students.

Disadvantages of taking a winter class

Short

While this can work towards your advantage, it can also hurt you.

If you aren’t prepared for such a quick term, it can be hard to stay organized.

You might get overwhelmed with the material.

Since it’s fast paced, some students could fall behind because they didn’t plan adequately.

These courses are packed with content, and students must be ready for the fast pace of a winter class.

Hard

Because these courses move so quickly, and there’s a lot of material covered, students may find it more difficult to understand the content.

For example, if you have extra time outside of class to study, between lectures, you can set aside time to learn the material and go over things you didn’t get understand before during a long semester.

But since these courses move so quickly, there is little time to catch up.

Sometimes students lack the study time to do well.

Or just struggle to understand the material because there isn’t as much time to learn it outside of class.

Timely

When you are taking a winter class, you will need to spend a considerable amount of time on the course each week.

I am talking about 20 hours a week.

This leaves little time for other activities, and you’ll need to be dedicated to the class during your winter break.

And that means less time with family and friends.

While the college usually closes for holidays, you may spend that time studying instead.

Get prepared to work through family get-togethers and have late nights.

Lonely

If you must travel to campus to take your winter class in-person, the campus is often empty.

It can seem rather lonely.

So, if you like to socialize and thrive in busy environments, these few weeks of winter classes can be rather lonely.

There are fewer students, professors, campus staff, and resources on campus than ever before.

Be prepared for lots of alone time if you’ll spend time on campus.

Fewer resources

While the campus support will still be available, their hours are reduced. And many spend time on vacation.

So, it may be hard to contact your professor or get the assistance you need.

This isn’t true for all campuses, but most college campuses will have a reduced staff during that time.

Are online winter classes hard?

Online winter classes aren’t any harder than other classes really. The reason why winter college classes may be harder for you is because the shorter semester. It can be hard to keep up with the material since the course is so fast paced.

But some students thrive in a fast paced environment. As a professor, I taught a three week wintermester college class and most of those students performed better than students in my long semester classes.

So, it depends on what type of student you are. Some students prefer winter college classes while others like longer semesters.

Now that you have read the pros and cons of taking winter classes in college, you can be better prepared to take a winter class and know what to expect. I know I’ve made this decision easier for you.

Good luck and you’ve got this.

Remember, while I was a professor, I am not your professor. I do not know your college or university’s policies. You should always check with your college or university to learn more about winter classes. See my disclaimers.

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