Messenger - Vol. 4, No. 2, Page 8 1995 Summer College Each summer, academically strong high school juniors have the chance to sample college life at the University of Delaware's Summer College. The five-week program, sponsored by the University Honors Program, is offered to high school students entering their senior year. Summer College prepares students for campus life, giving them confidence in their ability to handle the academic workload and showing them how to balance their studies with everyday life. Heather Irish, a freshman food science major from Newark, Del., attended Summer College in 1993. She said she thought that early exposure to a college atmosphere would make her transition from high school to college easier. Patricia Powers of Hockessin, Del., a sophomore math major, who also attended the program that summer, felt it was important "to see what it was like to actually be away from home and in college." She wanted to "experience college before she actually got there" so she would be ready to handle all the responsibilities that come with living on her own. Reflecting on the experience, another Summer College student said, "I've learned a lot about who I am and who I want to be." Other students noted that they had learned time management, how to do their own laundry and "when to study, when to party and how to live with others." Ninety-six students attended the 1993 Summer College program. According to Marti Collins-Owens, the Summer College coordinator, more than 60 percent of the students who attended that year's program decided to enroll at the University-the highest number to do so in the program's 11-year history. Twenty-three of the students entered the University Honors Program. Summer College students can enroll in two classes and may earn up to seven college credits. These credits can be added to the University of Delaware transcript, if the student decides to attend, or can be transferred to other universities. Using these credits, along with Advanced Placement credits from her high school, Powers was able to enter Delaware as a sophomore. Eight courses are offered, ranging from introductory biology to the philosophy of film, and they are especially designed to allow students to interact with one another. Jodi Mackenzie of Smyrna, Del., a freshman accounting major, believes her current courses are more difficult than the ones she took over the summer, but the program "helped her to adjust more quickly" to the amount of work she now has and the time she needs to spend on it. To enhance the college experience, students are housed in central campus residence halls, paired with roommates and allowed use of all University facilities. Summer College students also are involved in numerous social activities on weekends. They may attend recreational and cultural events on campus or spend a day touring New York City, tubing down the Brandywine River or catching a Philadelphia Phillies game at nearby Veterans Stadium. Talent shows, a 4th of July picnic and dances also provide informal opportunities to meet new people. Irish and Mackenzie said that making new acquaintances was one of the best aspects of the program, and they have kept in contact with many of the friends they made. For more information or an application, contact Collins-Owens in care of the Honors Program, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716- 1256; telephone (302) 831-6560; or fax (302) 831-2045. -Lisa Wiseman, Delaware '95