27 Jul Dickinson State University hits record-high summer enrollment
Students attend summer class at Medora Foundation in Medora, ND.
Dickinson State University’s (DSU) 2021 summer semester enrollment posted the highest number of students in more than a decade as 382 Blue Hawks continued their pursuit of their dreams. The head count is a 57% increase over last summer.
The University, continuing its commitment to enable students to graduate on time and its commitment to the workforce to improve professional and personal skills, offered more classes than in previous years.
Those taking summer classes must complete the same workload of a regular 16-week class in half the time. “It is tough on students who have to keep up with homework and twice-a-week labs,” said Dr. Katsu Ogawa, associate professor of chemistry. “The highly-motivated summer students made teaching a summer course really enjoyable.”
For some students, this was their first time taking a college class. “The experience was a little overwhelming,” shared freshman nursing student K-Lynn Bennetti. “It felt like it went by so fast, and since it was my very first class ever, I didn’t know what to expect, but I just buckled down and gave it my all.” Bennetti is a CNA who wants to advance her career. “I just know I wanted to do more than just that. [Nursing] is a great career to have and to better support my family.”
Others are very familiar with summer classes. “I started taking summer classes a couple of years ago to finish up my degree. This is my first time having an on-campus summer class, though,” said Jess Olson, a veteran college student who has now turned her aspirations toward nursing and enrolled in three summer courses this year. “Summer classes are nice because the semester goes by quickly. But that also makes the semester hard as well. For me, I had to work on my classes every day during the eight weeks to keep up with them. Overall, it was a good experience and ended up well.”
Students are choosing to enroll in DSU’s summer classes to get the prerequisites they need for their fall programs, to improve their transcripts, and to graduate sooner.
Fall classes start August 23. For information about the next semester, visit www.dickinsonstate.edu.