The idea of taking classes in the winter sounds about as fun as taking them in the summer. Nothing like coming home from a Christmas or New Year’s holiday vacation, then waking up the next Monday or Tuesday to do six hours of upper division major requirements.

But the option to do so is one of the great benefits to the students. I have learned the hard way that 12 to 15 units of upper-division classes in one semester can be very challenging. The courses offered by the College of Continuing Education at Sacramento State during the winter break in January can help relieve some course overload in the spring and fall.

Doing well in five classes is especially challenging if you are one of the many students that work part-time. The best option against material overload of so many classes would be to take one during the Winter Intersession, or Summer Sessions for that matter.

Anything that can lighten the course load for the spring and fall semesters will help your overall academic performance.

I was a transfer student from a community college, and needed approximately 50 units to get an undergraduate’s degree when I started. Most of those courses were the upper division units for my particular major.

I am not saying it cannot be done, but you try to take four upper division courses in one semester and see what happens to you. To have the ability to take just one class in the winter is a crucial option for students on the short track to graduation via transfer from community college.

Even if you are a freshman who wants to graduate in four years, it takes about 15 units or five classes a semester. The demands of so many classes in one semester makes the option to take one class in winter, maybe two in the summer, a real necessity to relieve some of that pressure.

If making good grades are important to you, the fewer research papers to write and tests to worry about during the semester will help. Sure you get three months off in the summer and one in the winter, but you could finish school that much faster by attending classes in January.

If you are sociology major, you will not have a hard time finding a class during the winter session. There are eight different upper division classes to choose from in sociology during the 2005 Winter Intersession. Most of the other 20 subjects like anthropology, business and government only have the option for one class.

As the college expands towards 2010, more Winter Intersession courses might need to be added to accommodate all the students.

The classes start Jan. 3 and last for 2 1/2 weeks. Considering it takes three and a half months to get the same hours of instruction in 18 days, a class during the winter break sounds easy. Dec. 10 is the last day to register for the Winter Intersession 2005. I would recommend you take advantage of their services.