Students Take Intensive Courses During Summer Session

This summer, dozens of Wesleyan students are completing a semester-long course in only five weeks. Classes started on May 27 and conclude June 25.

The intensive Summer Session is open to students who feel they have the academic qualifications and stamina to complete intellectually challenging courses in a compressed schedule.

This summer, students are taking courses in drawing, writing creative nonfiction, financial accounting, legal thinking, principles of biology, introduction to programming and developmental psychology. Wesleyan faculty Anna Schusterman, James Lipton, Rosemarie Doris, Douglas Foyle, Marin Gosman, Anne Greene, Kate Ten Eyck, among others, are teaching the courses.

New this year is a Biology Institute, held May 27 through July 26. Students enrolled in this program have the opportunity to take both Principles of Biology I and II with lecture and lab.

Anthropology and dance double major Sophie Miller ’17 is enrolled in the course Legal Thinking taught by Wesleyan’s General Counsel and Secretary of the University David Winakor. She’s among four students in the class.

“By having the lawyer for the University teach the class, we end up discussing really interesting aspects of private college administration that I think most students are truly unaware exists. It’s really interesting to gain insight into how the administration at this school functions,” Miller said.

Wesleyan Summer Session is open to all college students, post-baccalaureate, working professionals and high school students who are over the age of 18.

Visiting scholar Poppy Pu, who is considering a degree in political science, said she’s always wanted to learn about drawing and the arts but she hasn’t had a chance to study the arts during the regular academic year. She hoped the Summer Session option would offer her the opportunity to focus strictly on drawing. 

“The drawing class is great so far. We have a small class and the professor is patient and helpful. Every student has improved a lot through the session. It’s very impressive,” she said. “It is hard to imagine the class will end in a week!”

Miller also enjoys the quiet, less populated campus.

“Although it’s emptier, it’s kind of nice to have the whole campus basically to myself. Being the only one on Foss Hill is practically unheard of during the year,” she said. “Summer Session also brings together students from different parts of the University, so that’s really nice as well.”

Additional photos of the Drawing I and Biology I Summer Session classes are below: (Photos by Laurie Kenney and Ben Travers)