Most students think that the idea of taking classes during the summer can be off-putting.  Summer is a time for lazing around next to the pool or working and saving up money for the school year.  Fortunately, the summer block scheduling of classes allows for flexibility and convenience.  You can get that much needed chill time with your friends and make great academic choices at the same time.

After being involved with OU Summer Session for the past two summers I have seen more and more of my friends decide to stay in Norman and take classes rather than move home.   Moving away from Norman for just 3 months can be a hassle.  Plus, there’s a ton of events and entertainment on campus including free sno-cones every Tuesday, volleyball, basketball, and kickball leagues, a concert, comedian, crawfish boil, and much more.

I think my two favorite events were the comedian and the concert.  This summer we had Chris Hardwick, host of the Talking Dead and Nerdist podcast, perform stand up comedy in Holmberg Hall.  The venue was packed and he was hilarious, not to mention he came out and signed autographs for everyone after his performance.  The Casey Donahew Band performed for the summer Must Stay Concert on the East Lawn of the Union.  An outdoor country concert totally embodies the feeling of summer and over 4,000 people were in attendance.  Both of these events were completely free and it was awesome to see so many of my friends and peers come hang out and enjoy the performances.

I’m really excited to be apart of this time of transition in academia.  More and more of my peers are earning summer course credit, rounding out their fall and spring semesters, and enjoying the benefits of staying close to campus.

Patrick Vaughn

Film and Media Studies, Class of 2014

Yukon, OK