Did You Know? You don’t have to wait until freshman year to stay on campus and attend college classes!
Both Hope and Wesley made the decision to attend UA Early College’s Summer On Campus program in the summers of 2018 and 2019, though their initial reasons for participating were slightly different.
Hope, a high school sophomore at the time, had the desire to take college classes on The University of Alabama’s picturesque campus during a time when the class sizes would be smaller than they would be during a typical fall or spring semester. Wesley, also a high school sophomore, felt it necessary to gather an understanding of what living on a large campus would be like when his time to attend college full-time rolled around.
Both wanted to bolster their academic resumes and make the most of their summer by obtaining college credit and valuable experiences, and both wanted to meet other UA Early College students from across the country who would live together and grow together through the Summer On Campus program.
Live in a residence hall, walk the Quad, make great friends, and take college courses all during high school!
Summer On Campus is a unique opportunity for UA Early College students to spend their summer taking college courses, earning course credit, living in a dorm with other UAEC students and experiencing college life in a structured and safe environment. Students are supported through personalized academic advising and student success coaching, and they have UAEC staff members guiding them and meeting with them throughout their time on campus. Peer Coaches, who are current University of Alabama students and were previously UA Early College students, are assigned to mentor each SOC student throughout the summer.
Students also meet with various campus partners to get affiliated with UA-specific offerings. They attend study hall in one of the UA libraries to form positive academic habits and have social events throughout each week to encourage bonding with other students.
For high school students to attend Summer On Campus, they must complete the following steps:
- Apply and be accepted to UA Early College
- Pass the UAEC 200: College Readiness Course, a five-week online intensive that prepares all Early College students to take future UA courses
- Apply and be accepted to the Summer On Campus program, which is an internal application
Hear What The Students Have to Say
Hope and Wesley, now both attending UA full-time and working as UA Early College Peer Coaches, found the Summer On Campus program to be a beneficial use of their time and a positive experience that led to personal growth and future academic decisions.
“Personally I grew a decent amount, as I was able to find my confidence, and it showed me that I can really make friends with anyone. SOC also helped me realize the University of Alabama was where I wanted to go,” said Wesley.
“I feel like SOC was a beneficial use of my summer because I got to get ahead on college work while also making friends, eating out, and doing teenage things. I grew a lot in maturity by being away from my parents, waking myself up for class, going to eat, and just being fully responsible for myself for the first time. I figured out my major during my second year at a SOC college fair we all attended together, so that really helped me a lot. The SOC program helped me build my high school and college academic career by making me a better student due to my new study strategies, tendencies, and experience in college classes. It also helped me gain over thirty credits before coming to college,” said Hope.
Both Hope and Wesley recommend the program to any high schooler who wants to utilize the summer timeframe to build their academic and career opportunities.
For more information about UA Early College and the Summer On Campus program, visit uaearlycollege.ua.edu or call (205) 348-7083 with any questions.
