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| Vol. 18, No. 38 | Aug. 5, 1999 |
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| Vol. 18, No. 38 | Aug. 5, 1999 |
Summer College students in the classroom
These academically advanced teenagers are on campus to get a preview of what their lives will be like when they enter college in September 2000.
From June 26 through July 31, Summer College students lived in residence halls, took college freshman courses, participated in student activities and were given a level of responsibility that they won't experience again until they move into their college dorms.
In recent interviews, Summer College students Eric Chang, 17, of Newark; Sara Colmer, 17, of Montgomery, Ala.; Ryan Pryslak, 17, of Wilmington; Jared Schwartz, 17, of Wilmington; Meco Sparks, 17, of Dover; and Cemré Yazar, 17, of Istanbul, Turkey; talked about their first two weeks on campus.
Colmer said she's participated in summer academic programs before but this one is different.
"It's not as structured as the others. The courses are college level and you don't have someone with you every minute. You can either slack off and do nothing or get your work done, but no one's going to tuck you in at night and ask if you've done your work," she said.
Program Coordinator Elizabeth Reynolds said the idea is to give students the opportunity to see how they'll do in college when they're on their own. "We're interested in letting students prove themselves, but sometimes it's a wake-up call," she said.
Most come from Delaware, a few from out-of-state, and, this year, one person is from Turkey.
Students who are accepted into the program aren't required to apply to UD but many do, Reynolds said. "In 1988, 37 percent of the students who participated in the program came to UD, today it's 48 percent," she said.
Pryzlak, who will be a senior at Archmere Academy in the fall, said when his father told him about the Summer College program, he was not enthusiastic. "Except for the week I spent at UD for Governor's School, I haven't been away from home. I didn't want to lose five weeks with my family and friends this summer when I'd only have one more summer before I go away to college."
Then, he talked to friends who were in the program the year before. "They loved it! They all told me that I had to go," Pryzlak said. "I wasn't sure what to bring, what my roommate would be like, if I'd fit in and the last two weeks at home were really tense," he said. "There definitely are adjustments you have to make, especially in learning how to cope with new people, but I've made so many new friends and I'm having a great time. I know now that I'll do well in college."
Pryzlak's roommate, Cemré Yazar, was born in Turkey but moved to the U.S. when he was three months old. He lived in South Carolina until he was 7, when his family moved back to Istanbul. Yazar discovered Summer College on the Internet. He was surfing, came across the UD web site and the Summer College page <http://www.udel. edu/summercollege/>.
He liked what he saw especially the variety of courses.
"It turned me on," he said. Since Yazar intends to go to college in the U.S., he said he thought the program would be a good way for him to learn about Americans and college life. He said he's getting what he expected and more. "I don't have my parents telling me to get my work done. Without the pressure, I'm doing my assignments more quickly and with more enthusiasm."
Along with the freedom that comes with college life, he enjoys working with teaching assistants. "Most teachers in Turkish schools are older but here the TAs are young people who relate more closely with students," he said.
These students take college freshman courses taught by full-time faculty and their TAs. The credits that students receive from their courses can be used at the University to fulfill requirements and may transfer to another college.
Chang, who is interested in computer science and physics, intends to apply to UD, MIT and Carnegie Mellon. "It's far beyond any expectations I might have had. The freedom you have, the classes, the new people you meet and the activities are great! The first weekend, on the 4th of July, we were taken to a Phillies game complete with fireworks, then to Rehoboth and this past weekend to New York City."
Chang said he also is impressed with his computer science and physics courses. The physics class is all about determining the age of the universe and although he has a lot of studying to do, he said he's loving it.
The University Honors Program, which coordinates Summer College, wants the experience to be complete, Reynolds said. That's why they include social events, like the Phillies game and trip to Rehoboth Beach. In some years, there are also sessions on time management and study skills, as well as panel discussions on academic and contemporary problems.
All students have temporary e-mail accounts and voice mail in their residence halls and can use the University's computers or connect their own to UD's network.
Sparks said the campus really seemed big at first, but now she's gotten used to it and has no trouble finding her way around. She said the experience has taught her what she can and cannot bring to college and has put her in the "proper mindset" for leaving home when the time comes. "It's very different from high school except for the curfews."
Sometimes it feels like summer camp, she said. But for the most part, she's enjoying the freedom and especially meeting new people.
Schwartz said he was also urged by his friends to apply to Summer College. He isn't sure of what he wants to major in so he took a biology course and one called "Introduction to Poetry: Crazy Love."
"The classes are different. The style and method of teaching isn't like high school. It's not that they are much harder, but you have to learn to pace yourself. The best part of this program is all the friends I've made. It's one of the best things I've ever done in my life. And, it's really cool that everyone wants to be here, and they are so academically motivated," he said.
Reynolds said students with a GPA below 3.0 and weak SAT's are usually not considered for Summer College. "We're hitting the top tiers," she said. For students who can't afford the $1,300 in-state, $2,850 out-of-state tuition and board, financial aid is available.
There are programs similar to UD's Summer College at other universities, Reynolds said, but many of them are more costly since it's also a way for these universities to raise money. UD is hoping to convince the "cream of the crop" that they want to make Delaware their alma mater, she said. .
-Barbara Garrison
Photo by Robert Cohen
