BY LEO RAMIREZ
EPCC offers eight-week courses for students who want to finish their degree faster.
However, many do not take advantage of the opportunity simply because they are intimidated by the fact that 16 weeks of work are crammed into eight weeks.
According to EPPC’s website, 8-week semesters give part-time students the opportunity to
attend EPCC on a full-time basis. A student who can take only two classes at a time could do so twice in a single semester during the first half of the traditional 16-week semester, then taking two more during the semester's second half.
Completing four classes, or a total of 12 semester credit hours, in a single semester will classify a student as full-time and could accelerate the time to graduation with a certificate or degree.
Abigail Carreon, who is a sophomore, said, “My parents made me register for 8-week classes so I could finish school sooner and I remember hating them for it,” Carreon said. “I thought I
wasn’t going to have any time for my boyfriend, friends, or any time to myself, but it was not
like that at all. It felt good being that productive.”
Carreon said she also has more credits than her friends who graduated high school before her. “It's kind of cool to be able to be younger than them and still be ahead school-wise,” Carreon said.
History Professor John Nelson who teaches History 1301 said 8-week courses are a lot of work but are not impossible.
“At first many students are taken back at the amount of work it really is,” Nelson said. “It is not
like a regular semester where you have a discussion and maybe a quiz at the end of the week. It's discussion, after the quiz, after discussion, after essay, after exam. You have to work at it, just like anything else.”
EPCC officials said students who take 8-week courses may feel overwhelmed or need student
support services including tutoring, the campus library, and opportunities to interact with their
peers and skilled faculty. These resources are actively available to any EPCC student.
According to the EPCC website most 8-week courses offered at the Mission del Paso campus, most 8-week courses are in hybrid format, which means you will have a face-to-face and an online component of the class.
Classes will meet face-to-face either Mondays/Wednesdays or Tuesdays/Thursdays, with the other days of the week dedicated to online coursework. Having access to a computer and high-speed internet is a necessity for eight-week classes.
For registration dates and deadlines, speak to your counselor or an advisor or go online to