Finals week is approaching faster than ever this year; as we approach the home stretch of the school year this upcoming May, you may want to ask yourself whether staying in Grand Forks this summer is in your best interest or not. You may be wrapping up a flight course, looking to get ahead with your classes for the upcoming year or seeking to capitalize on the numerous employment opportunities that are available within Grand Forks over the summer.  

One of the greatest benefits of staying in Grand Forks for either part of or the duration of the summer is staying on track to graduate. At the University of North Dakota, almost all programs require at least 120 credits to graduate, not including the additional graduation requirements that coincide with picking up a second major or minor on top of your primary area of study.  

Second-year Commercial Aviation student, Matthew Griewahn, said about his experience staying at UND last summer that he was initially struggling to complete the first flight course at UND throughout the spring semester due to setbacks out of his control, including weather and aircraft availability. This ultimately contributed towards his decision to stay in Grand Forks up until mid-July, in which he completed the flight course and earned his private pilot’s license. According to Griewahn, he stated that the “good flying weather over the summer months allowed him to complete his flight training in a timely manner.” Through completing the flight course over the summer, Griewahn remained on track to graduate on time and enroll in the following course the following fall semester with minimal setbacks.  

Along with getting ahead with course work over the summer, May through August is an invaluable time in the year to work either a part time job or find an internship that is applicable towards your career path. If you are looking for part-time employment this summer, be sure to visit careers.und.edu to see if there are any student employment opportunities that interest you. 

Ultimately, whether you enroll in classes at UND this summer or stay within the Grand Forks area to further your professional goals, consider whether staying at UND this summer makes sense for you. 

Daniel Silva is a Dakota Student General Reporter. He can be reached at [email protected].