The four-week long Maymester is a side effect of the semester switch Ohio State students have yet to experience.
But due to limited course listings, some students never will.
Fourth-year in psychology Melanie Reed said she wanted to take advantage of the May Session, however none of the courses Reed needs to take are offered, and a study abroad trip would interfere with her job.
“I thought about it, but I did not think it would work out for me,” Reed said.
For others, the three free credit hours are a lure they can’t pass up.
Rebecca Mashni, a second-year in public health, is planning to take a public health environmental class during the May Session. The class is expected to meet Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Even though she is worried about the time commitment, Mashni said it was worth it because the class is free.
“I am not sure how it is going to work, but I am willing to try it out,” Mashni said.
Most U.S. colleges operate on the semester system, but few have included a May Session, said Jay Johnson, the assistant provost and associate director of Institutional Research in the Office of Academic Affairs. Johnson called this session “new for everybody and a step in a fun direction.”
On Jan. 28 the courses being offered were put on BuckeyeLink. Students will register for May Session during the registration for Summer Session. Students will find out who will be teaching these May Session courses when Summer Session registration opens on Feb. 18.
The Summer Term includes the May Session and the seven-week Summer Session. Students will be able to combine the two sessions, enrolling in all of Summer Term, however the three free credit hours will not be offered during Summer Session.
Johnson said the May Session offers a free class to encourage enrollment when the classes are moving at a quicker pace than during a typical 16-week semester.
Since May Session is four weeks, the courses offered will be intense and fast-paced, Johnson said. For a three-credit course, a student must receive 37 hours of in-class instruction, Johnson said.
During May Session, students are expected to be in class about two hours a day, five days a week. However, the number of students that will sign up for these classes has yet to be determined.
“We would not know until students register in February,” Johnson said.
There will be about 75 to 80 courses offered, he said. Each section will have a maximum capacity like any other course section.
Examples of some classes included in the May Session are introduction to philosophy and geography of Ohio.
Johnson said the demands of May Session courses might make it hard for students to work but called it a “trade-off” since the class is free up to three hours. Johnson said the free course will “virtually be a full-time job” during the session.
OSU has a variety of study abroad programs, ranging from 10 days to a year long, so the time frame is not a problem for the four-week May Session.
Study abroad opportunities, such as the Global May programs, are “a very natural fit” for May Session,” Johnson said.
Maureen Miller, Office of International Affairs spokeswoman, said the May Session expands students’ opportunity to study abroad because it is an “extra moment in your academic year.”
According to the OIA website, OSU offers more than 40 study abroad programs during May Session and more than 60 summer-long programs in countries such as South Africa, Russia, China and England.