Student Summer Enrollment up at CUNY

Summer enrollment at CUNY is at a 19-year high because students are trying to graduate early and get a head start on the workforce.

 

“This year summer enrollment was 74,700. There was a three percent increase in summer enrollment from last year,” said Rita Rodin of CUNY Office of Media Relations.

 

“Students are taking more core classes at CUNY during the summer, said Ellis Simon, CUNY director of public relations.

 

Many of the students interviewed were taking core classes such as accounting, economics finance and communications.

 

College students taking summer classes want to take core classes and required classes for their major to get them out of the way.

 

Mason Lin, a student at Baruch College, is taking cost accounting and financial accounting because it’s required for his major. Finishing these classes allows him to graduate early.

 

According to several students attending school during the summer, classes are more demanding and rigorous than classes during the rest of the year. Some students feel that summer courses have a better structure than regular year classes because teachers work more with the students and the semester is shorter.

 

According to Ail Alyas, a student at Baruch College, the workload is a lot more intense and it is done at a faster pace during the summer.

 

Christal James of Brooklyn College said she is taking core classes because she has the money right now and she saved up to take the classes. She doesn’t know when she will have the money again to get the classes out of the way.

 

 â€œStudents take summer course to catch up with missing work,” said Alyas.

Many students during the year are so busy that they don’t have time to take all the classes they need.

 

“Certain profile of students takes summer courses. They are hard working, take summer classes more serious and graduate quicker,” said Anthony O’Malley, a professor at Baruch College.

 

Because students work harder for summer courses, O’Malley said, “grades grew a little higher, more A’s, and students are higher quality.”

  

CUNY Rodin said that students gain more from their learning experience during summer classes. Students might take classes because they don’t have time during the year, are out of work in the summer, and in order to advance their skills and resume.

 

While CUNY’s enrollment has increased, SUNY’s has not seen the same growth, with enrollment decreasing by one percent since last year.