University Prep teachers know that when it comes to intensives they are often faced with trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. 

While a semester class has fewer opportunities for field trips and hands-on experiments, it has the valuable addition of more overall time. In intensives, class content is smooshed into three weeks with the hope that putting students in a streamlined course will spark a greater interest in a single topic. 

For most students, however, the only thing intensives provide are ways to re-work their busy schedule into something more convenient.

We are constantly reminded by our advisors and teachers that we need to have a certain amount of credits for each subject to graduate. At the forefront of students’ minds during course enrollment is “How can I make next year easy and still complete the classes I need?” 

Take statistics for example, a required math class that teaches relatively simple topics with previous math knowledge. If you dislike math, why not take that class quickly as an easier intensive and enjoy a free period in its place? If a student isn’t interested in art but needs one last art credit, wouldn’t it make sense to bang out a painting class in three easy-going weeks than to take it for more than three months? 

In some cases, members of the student body might even prefer to have the classes they are most excited about conducted during the normal semester so they could have more time to truly absorb the content. 

The original goal of intensives was to take an already interested student and give them the opportunity to join other students in learning about a topic that gets everyone excited. While this is a great idea and one to strive for, it must be known that the reality of UPrep’s intensives is quite different for many students. While the administration’s intention is to get students interested in intensive topics, students are more interested in fitting the courses they’re indifferent about into the shortest time frame possible.