It's Winterim Time

Short on credits this semester?   

Got a requirement you want to complete?   

Want to make up that course you had to drop?

Think Winterim.  

For those who don't know, the Winterim is NCC's "mini" semester--a roughly three-week session between the end of the fall semester and the start of the spring.  It's a chance to complete a course and get one step closer to graduation.

Winterim classes are intense.  They start right after Christmas (December 26) and run through January 15.  Most meet three hours a day (or evening) Monday through Friday, with breaks only for New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.  Because classes move at a fast pace, you DEFINITELY have to keep up.  But since that's the only course you're taking (NCC will let you do only one) during that time, it's not impossible.  

Is the Winterim for you?  It depends.  Some students like the month off between the fall and spring semesters.  Some don't like the pressure of coming to class for three hours a day, five days a week, with assigned readings, papers, projects, and exams happening almost nonstop.  Some people work extra hours during this time, which makes squeezing in a course pretty tough, maybe impossible. 

But if you're eager to earn credits--and have the time (and energy) to give to school in late December/early January--the Winterim can be a good option.  You can choose courses from more than twenty departments, including English, Psychology, History, Business, Health, Phys Ed, Music, Physical Sciences, Sociology, Criminal Justice, Marketing, and Math (see the full schedule on Banner under "Winterim 2014").  You can fulfill a requirement, pick up an elective, even complete a prereq for a future course.  

Taking a class that's over and done in three weeks will probably require some changes in your schedule, but the trade-off could be worth it.  Having three additional credits under your belt means that somewhere along the way--next semester or next summer--life will be easier. 

Registration for Winterim classes starts on November 14.  Even if you can't register for the spring semester until a week or two later, you can get into a Winterim class right away--no waiting.  Nor should you wait: Winterim courses fill fast.  Seems like lots of students are eager to put their January to good use.