With winter term classes underway at Western Kentucky University, students are buckling down to get to where they want to be faster. 

Among those students was Shelley Spalding, a graduate student from Lebanon pursuing master’s degrees in teaching and history. 

“The goal is to be a high school history teacher,” Spalding said, taking a break from reviewing federal privacy laws for student information. 

Although classes just began Tuesday for students, Spalding said she’s already gotten some valuable and practical information regarding “education law and what our rights as teachers are and what our limitations as teachers are.” 

She’s also appreciating the freedom her online educational assessment course is offering her. On Wednesday afternoon, Spalding was studying in the computer lab of Mass Media and Technology Hall, but she said the class format allows her to study just about anywhere at any time of day. 

“I can fit this in a small amount of time, and it still counts as three (credit) hours,” she said. “That’s nice that I can have that flexibility.” 

Many WKU students appreciate the same efficiency and convenience winter term courses can offer, said Alicia Bingham, the coordinator of WKU’s winter and summer sessions. 

After initially starting in 2006, Bingham said WKU’s winter term has grown to one of the most robust in the nation in terms of student participation and course offerings. Unlike other universities, Bingham said students take advantage of the opportunity with as many as 10 percent of students participating on average each year. 

This year more than 2,300 students have enrolled, Bingham said, adding that students are limited to taking one course for the three-week term. 

“One of the main reasons why we encourage students to take winter term is because there are no other distractions,” she said. “It is intense, but it’s only one class at a time.” 

That was the case for Echa Dogopia, a junior from Indonesia studying mechanical engineering. Dogopia, who’s taking a general education economics class, quietly reviewed a class presentation on a computer in the Mass Media computer lab. During a normal semester, Dogopia feels distracted by her engineering courses, which she needs to prioritize over general education courses. 

“It’s more efficient,” Dogopia said, adding that it’s “easier to focus.” 

Around 70 percent of classes offered during winter term are online, but in-person classes are also available. Along with general education courses, Bingham said the winter term is a chance for faculty to test out new special topics courses. 

The term also offers students the chance to participate in study abroad or study away programs. Popular courses include trips to the annual Sundance Film Festival in Utah and a trip to Hawaii to study geology and geography. 

Cara Forke, a folk studies graduate student from Pennsylvania, is preparing for a trip to Washington, D.C., next week. During her weeklong course, she’ll network with representatives from the National Park Service, Smithsonian curators and others involved in the public aspect of folk studies. Forke said she and the four other students going are being pushed to develop elevator speeches for the trip. The class culminates in a 15-page research paper and presentation. 

“It’s a perfect class,” she said. 

— Follow education reporter Aaron Mudd on Twitter @BGDN_edbeat or visit bgdailynews.com.