High School Stories
Every summer, high school students are welcome in most UC Santa Cruz Summer Session courses. They get a taste of college life and earn UC credit they can take with them anywhere.
We hope you find some inspiration in their stories.
2024 High School Summer Online
Course:
OCEA 1 - The Oceans (5 credits)I decided to take summer classes at UCSC to deepen my understanding of my passions before graduating high school. I wanted to build confidence in my ability to handle college-level courses and ensure that I choose a major that truly aligns with my interests. My love for the ocean from ever since I was young made this class an ideal choice, and was a class I do not regret taking at all. It has been an inspiring experience that has encouraged me to further explore what I love, and gave me a brighter view of what I would like to have as a future career.
2024 High School Summer University - Commuter
Course:
BIOE 20C - Ecology and Evolution (5 credits)I have gained more insight and knowledge of the subjects that I want to major in. Don't be afraid to talk to the other students already in college. I was a little nervous at first but by the end it was really helpful to be able to discuss things with everyone else. I had a great time and it was nice to get a taste of what college life is like.
2024 High School Summer Online
Course:
LING 80K - Invented Languages, From Elvish to Esperanto (5 credits)I was able to find a perfectly compatible course with me at UCSC's Summer Session in the Invented Languages course, which taught me a lot of linguistics through building a language from the ground up. A significant academic achievement for me in terms of my linguistic proficiency is definitely this process of developing a language—while a large part of the syntax was developed by the teaching assistants, we worked a lot on semantic sayings and contributed our own words and phrases to the language. The pinnacle of this experience was translating the language back into English for the final project—it almost felt surreal that we developed an almost fully functioning language, and I'm very proud of us for that.
Online, self-based classes are great because you can customize them completely to your own schedule, finding time each day to work on it at your convenience. While it still is a lot of work, it's very nice that you can have your summer while keeping your mind sharp.
2023 High School Summer University - Commuter
Course:
PSYC 1 - Introduction to Psychology (5 credits)UCSC is my dream university and to be able to attend the campus and participate in the lectures was an amazing opportunity to learn more about the college and to confirm the positive beliefs that I had.
Before taking the psychology class, I was unsure about my academic future, but this summer gave me a chance to learn about the diverse subjects found within psychology. For example, I was especially interested in learning about behavior and how it is affected by society. I now feel confident about having psychology as a possible future major that I will work hard to earn.
I want to highlight that although the course was compressed, it was less stressful than I expected and I had enough time to explore the campus and the beautiful town of Santa Cruz. I always knew the UCSC campus was beautiful, but I was surprised to see how truly gorgeous it was, further increasing my desire to apply.
Overall, attending the course was an extraordinary experience where I was able to learn about a possible future major, view the campus, get to know Santa Cruz, and even surf.
2023 High School Summer Online
Course:
MATH 103A - Complex Analysis (5 credits)I was motivated to take Math103A, Complex Analysis at UCSC because I wanted to delve deeper into a classical subject in mathematics and the course was not offered at my high school this year. The course helped me achieve my academic goals by offering me an opportunity to enhance my mathematical experience beyond the high school curriculum and take a course alongside undergraduates.
2023 High School Summer Online
Course:
MATH 23A - Vector Calculus (5 credits)I decided to take a college course at UC Santa Cruz this summer because I wanted to continue my study of mathematics, particularly calculus, and had finished all of the calculus classes my high school offered. I have a love for both math and physics and wanted to learn as much as I could about these topics to both prepare myself for college and simply because of my own curiosity.
Taking this college course has helped me reach my academic goals by allowing me to further my study of calculus while still at high school. I was also able to enjoy my years at high school while simultaneously taking a college course without being too overwhelmed by a heavy workload. Because I had the opportunity to take this course during the summer, I was able to spread out my academics throughout the year rather than having to juggle a packed schedule during the school year.
Something I was surprised to learn this summer is that even though the course I took was online and asynchronous, it was very easy to connect with and get help from my professors. I was also given the flexibility of still being able to travel and have a relaxing summer while taking a college course, as I could manage my time in a way that worked around my other summer plans. I would highly recommend taking a summer course at UC Santa Cruz to any other high school student who wants to experience a college-level course.
2022 and 2023 High School Summer Online
Courses:
HUMN 35 - Language Technology: Themes Across Cultures and Histories (5 credits)
LING 80K - Invented Languages, from Elvish to Esperanto (5 credits)Last year, during the 2022 UCSC Summer Session, I took a course on language online where I absolutely fell in love with linguistics. My experience in the class last year really motivated me to take more linguistic classes this year.
My most favorite aspect of my classes were the professors in the UCSC Linguistics Department. Before their classes, I never thought I would be willing to drown in the ocean of language and its structure. I was absolutely enchanted. I’m so glad to have had this exposure early on, especially at a university with one of the best linguistic departments in the country, working with the best professors. In fact, my experience in the classes I’ve taken during several summer sessions has been an invaluable factor in my motivation to even pursue Linguistics post-high school.
2023 High School Summer Online
Course:
COWL 52 - Personal Finance and Investing (5 credits)I was motivated to take a college course in the summer at UCSC for a few reasons. Firstly, I'm incredibly passionate about learning things outside of my regular high school academic courses. Also, post high school graduation finances are going to be a major part of my college and personal life, hence I wanted to learn finance fundamentals. I saw the personal finance and investing course at UCSC as an opportunity to delve deeper into the subject matter. Finally, I believe that summer courses provide a chance for me to explore additional areas of interest and diversify my skill set. It's a great way to supplement my regular coursework and gain a competitive edge in my future. Overall, my motivation for taking a college course at UCSC in the summer stems from my passion for learning, the desire to stay active with educational journey, and the opportunity to further my education and career goals.
The course has allowed me to acquire new skills in the field of personal finances. These skills are important for both my college and future career aspirations. Academically, taking a college course in preparation for life after high school shows parties of interest who I am outside of school, that I have initiative to prepare for the future.
Beyond academics, college courses have contributed to my personal growth. The course curriculum at UCSC covered all of the key topics of finances. Understanding the fundamentals of these topics are very important for better personal financial decision-making and to become a more well-rounded individual.
Taking college courses at UCSC has been instrumental in helping me reach my academic goals by providing essential skills, knowledge, and access to valuable resources. These experiences have not only enriched my education but also paved the way for future academic and career achievements.
2023 High School Summer Online
Courses:
ENVS 18 - Natural History Illustration (5 credits)
ENVS 65 - Introduction to Fresh Water: Processes and Policy (5 credits)
OCEA 1 - The Oceans (5 credits)I’m very passionate about marine biology and wanted to take the opportunity to learn more. UCSC is also my first choice of schools and I wanted to learn more about the university and its academic life. I moved from Colorado to Santa Cruz for the summer to learn more about the city, teachers, and students. It was an amazing summer and I can’t wait to apply!
Before taking these courses I was nervous about college level classes; I now know how to take notes, engage better in class and tests, and how to better balance class work. I feel confident and more prepared to go to college. In my classes I learned more about fresh water systems, how the ocean works, and how to create field guides. By being in person I spent many evenings at tide pools and creating my own field guides.
I was surprised to learn this summer more about our freshwater systems and the different types of ways we store and collect water. I’m really appreciative of this opportunity. I’m leaving confident that UCSC is my top choice of college and feeling very prepared.
2023 High School Summer University - Commuter
Courses:
CMMU 30 - Numbers And Social Justice (5 credits)
ENVS 15 - Natural History of the UCSC Campus (2 credits)
POLI 111A - Constitutional Law (5 credits)I come from a small rural town in Chile. I was very lucky to have the opportunity to attend UCSC this summer.
In this summer session at UCSC I became much more confident in myself, and at the same time, it made me feel more secure about going to college. It wasn't just the classes or the academic aspect, although that was challenging enough on its own. It was the whole experience: being around so many different people, many of whom were experienced college students willing to share their knowledge with me. Many of them also had international backgrounds, and some even spoke Spanish, which was comforting. This experience improved my English, and I also enjoyed participating in cycling classes, as well as the long walks and bike rides that I took to get around the campus.
That is the way it has helped me in my academic goals, not only with my grades, but also with my self-confidence when it comes to thinking about challenges like college.
2023 High School Summer Online
Courses:
CRES 188S - Race / Land / Property (5 credits)I was inspired to take a college course at UCSC this summer because I was eager to meet people with similar interests, feed my intellectual curiosity, and experience higher education firsthand. It was an exciting opportunity!
2023 High School Summer Online
Course:
LING 50 - Introduction to Linguistics (5 credits)I decided to take an Intro to Linguistics course at UCSC over the summer because of my interest in the subject. Taking this class gave me more insight into the field of Linguistics and I was also able to realize that this is what I want to major in. I was also able to learn more about how college classes are and I am very grateful that I had this opportunity to be exposed to the college curriculum.
One of my favorite things about this course was the fact that the graduate students who were teaching it were very knowledgeable and it made me feel like I was being taught by someone who were experts in their field.
2023 High School Summer Online
Course:
MERR 60 - Fake News: Its History and Why We Need Critical Media Literacy (5 credits)For summer I was very interested in enrolling in a class that I wouldn't have otherwise been able to take at my high school. At first, I was intimidated by taking my first college course but I learned so many new things involving journalism and the history of disinformation.
I was also surprised by how enjoyable and engaging the course material was, discovering so many different books and documentaries that I wouldn't have otherwise known of. Following this course, I have been able to apply the skills I learned to research for essays along with my daily life.
I think the most valuable thing I learned though is the expectations of college-level courses and how to meet them. Taking a class at UCSC has given me so much more confidence in my school work and preparedness for college.
Allison Fuller
Eli Foraker
Max Fan
Maya Rosen
Rayan Gummiid
Izi Rodrigues
Sarah Grover
Hemish Gundluri
Madelyn Arnold
Ayelén Morse
Atticus Fasnakis-Nosal
Mehr Goel
Sydney Reich
