Lauren Reuteler/Winonan

For many students, summer is a time to relax and stray away from the stress of a busy school year, while others enjoy taking classes during Summer Session in hopes of getting ahead in their college career.

Many students say the atmosphere of a summer course is more laid-back, with the greater ability to tighten relationships with faculty.

Unlike fall and spring semesters, registration for Summer Session is open to all students on the same day.

Registration opened at 8 a.m. on Monday for grad students, juniors, and seniors and again at 10 a.m. for freshman and sophomores.

Jennifer Lamberson, manager of Summer Session communication and marketing said, “Summer Session is a great way for students to catch up, keep up or get ahead.”

There are three different sessions within the summer season. Each session is divided into five-week increments beginning May 10 and ending Aug. 8.

Each year Summer Session sees a significant increase in the number of students who take summer courses. During the summer of 2013 there were 17,570 credits attempted, 3,118 students and 575 courses offered.

Over the last couple years, there has been a two to three percent increase in credits attempted alone.

Both online and in-classroom courses are offered during Summer Session, though online courses are more popular among students.

Last year nearly 50 percent of all credits generated were online, so Summer Session has been offering more classes  online to accommodate for students’ summer schedules.

Although the courses themselves are no different from regular spring and fall semesters, courses during the summer are more compact and include more information given in a shorter amount of time.

“We recommend students only consider taking one course each session because of how condensed the courses are, but it’s not required,” Lamberson said.

Some departments offer unique classes in the summer or have a stronger focus on travel study.

Winona State student Carrie Geary has taken two summer classes before and said she enjoyed the hands-on experience she practiced.

“It depends on how dedicated you are because it’s difficult when there is a gorgeous day and you have to sit in class. But, it’s nice that everything is packed into a short amount of time,” Geary said.

Financial aid is offered during the summer term, but with different requirements than in the fall and spring.  For more information on summer financial aid, students can visit www.winona.edu/financialaid/summerfinancialaid.asp.