Many students wonder what they can do with their time during the winter break, known as Winterim at PSU. While most students have a nice, long vacation at home, some students opt for staying on campus for the winter recess.
A good amount of students are required to stay on campus because of a local job or winter sport. Some stay simply to get the most out of their seasons pass for one of the many mountains surrounding Plymouth. Some students use the time to possibly catch up on degree requirements at the Frost School.
In order to stay on campus for Winterim, there are a few requirements for students. Students must fill out an application, stating their legitimate reason for remaining on campus for break. Students wishing to stay in their dorm for break will also need to pay an extra fee to stay in the building for the month of January. The extra fee is necessary because Winterim is not built into the normal tuition for a PSU student. Cost per credit during Winterim this year is $308. Students often opt to pay for some sort of meal plan during this time as well. There is a revised meal plan created for students staying on campus during Winterim.
Most of the buildings on campus stay open during Winterim, including the HUB, Lamson Library and Prospect Dining Hall. Although all have revised hours during that time, they are still accessible to students.
Then there is the handful of students that decide to stay on campus to get ahead or catch up on their degree requirements by attending the Frost School of Continuing and Professional Studies. Frost School is a school for anyone, not just Plymouth State students. Frost is also helpful for people that have a schedule that will not work with normal class hours. The Frost School offers courses all year long, including summer and a Winterim term.
This year the Winterim term at Frost School will start January 5th and last through to Jan. 22. Classes are open to all students. Most classes are every day of the week for a few hours, or an all day class three to four times through out the term. The majors that are offered at the Frost School are exactly the same as what is offered to regular day students at PSU. There are also several different internships that give you a good amount of credits towards your degree. A maximum of 4.5 credits can be taken at the Frost School for theWinterim term. Most classes offered are only 3 credits, making one class usually the maximum for students.
It’s true that the campus can get very empty and quiet during these months, but it’s not as if the whole town shuts down. If you end up staying on campus for Winterim, some would say it’s a must to take up skiing or snowboarding. It may be costly, but there are so many mountains around the Plymouth area that it will be very hard to be bored. In the long run, it may be worth the money. I would also recommend getting a job. This will be a great way to meet people, get some extra cash and just having something to do with those long hours of boredom Winterim students may encounter.
It’s a good idea to consider whether or not Winterim is a good choice right now, because the registration deadlines will be here before you know it. Nov. 3 is when registration begins.
Take a chance, stay for Winterim. It’s a good chance to get ahead on your degree, make some extra cash, or meet some new people. Why not?