Summer is usually one of the best times to take college courses if you're looking to graduate faster. If it's your first Summer semester consider the following...
Whether you're looking to graduate faster or catch up on a few subjects; taking summer classes is probably one of the best decisions you could make. Not only will you keep your mind fresh, making it easier for you in the fall semester, but you'll accomplish more than the usual summer tan.
Summer courses tend to be fast paced compared to spring and fall but it goes by extremely fast. When considering a summer course the first step is to consider the subject. Math and Science courses usually require more than just showing up to class and a few hours of studying. Usually, these subjects take about 2-4 hours of studying time a day. So if you have a part-time job, you might want to think twice before taking one of these courses. I know it might seem appealing to finish faster but you could risk receiving a bad grade if you're not able to do more work outside of the class time.
Now if you're taking a summer course that does not revolve around Math or Science you might be able to take two courses. Keep in mind that the amount of work is still about 2-4 hours of studying a day if you're looking to receive a B or an A in the class. Most often you'll find yourself doing a lot of reading and writing throughout your summer semester.
We've pretty much covered the General Education courses, anything else that is either a physical activity or extracurricular course should be pretty manageable and might just be a great way to meet like-minded people who are looking to learn a new skill over the summer. If you're looking to save some money, look into a community colleges courses, it's possible that the general ed course you were going to take at your university is being offered for much less at a community college.
If you're looking to save some money, look into community college courses, it's possible that the general ed course you were going to take at your university is being offered for much less at a community college. Especially if you're headed back home for the summer and want to be productive. Assist.org is a great resource to find out what transfers if you live in California.
To sum it all up, if this is your first time taking a summer class you should probably start with one class just to get a feel for how fast the class goes. I've seen professors give out exams every week and if you're not prepared, it doesn't go so well. Starting out with one class will keep you from dropping or even worse failing the class. I'd highly recommend not taking both Math and Science together, especially if you haven't done that during a regular semester. Sometimes even one Math class is enough to keep you busy during the summer. After you've completed your first summer class, you'll have a good feeling of how many classes you can handle next time.