Photo courtesy of sophomore Wesley Bartlett.

San Luis Obispo High School students are enjoying the end of school, but some students have chosen to take Cuesta classes over the summer. Some may find this contradictory, but there are three main reasons for taking Cuesta classes over the summer.

“I wanted to get a year ahead with what I was doing in math, that way I could hopefully take Calculus if I so choose later on, and then also just have that in the bag,” said sophomore Mackenzie Temple.

The first and most obvious reason is that Cuesta classes are something that someone who has no plans for the summer can do to occupy their free time. Cuesta offers a variety of different activities and classes that will provide students with something to do.

These different activities and classes can also teach students various skills they may not have acquired otherwise, and help them discover hobbies and interests that they didn’t know they had. “I’m excited to do precalculus over the summer because I’m excited to further my math, skills and education,” said senior Olivia Cusick. Cuesta has programs that can teach students different languages or crafts, and they also have facilities for exercise, like their swimming pool and track.

The final reason, why most people take Cuesta classes, is to get ahead on schoolwork. Students can take history and government classes over the summer and complete that graduation requirement, freeing room for more electives in the next school year. “I’m taking the US Government over the summer so that I’ll be able to take classes like work experience, and because I am a cook at a restaurant, I need the time. I also want the space to continue taking careers with children and work at the Tiny Tigers preschool,” said Cusick. 

Students can also take Geometry, Algebra II, and Precalculus all through Cuesta during the summer. By taking these math classes, students can get to more challenging classes quicker. 

Whether it’s to free up room in the next year’s schedule, get ahead, pick up a hobby, or just because it’s something to do, Cuesta courses are a great thing for SLOHS Tigers to do this summer.