Schools are offering students a wealth of things to do before the next semester begins, such as makeup classes, acceleration classes or activities outside the classroom.

Deviana Wijaya Dewi, a student at Parahyangan Catholic University (Unpar) in Bandung, West Java, travelled thousands miles to learn about and explore a new country during her inter-session break.

Thirty international relations students and a lecturer from Unpar visited India on a 10-day study excursion in early June.

Devi said that she paid US$1,300 for the program, visited New Delhi, Jaipur and several other cities, and met with local universities and think tanks to discuss security and international relations.

"We learned a lot and could see for ourselves the fast pace of development there," she said.

Bunga Riska Nizam, a senior studying Dutch literature at the University of Indonesia (UI), was in the Netherlands for an entire month.

Each year, the Dutch government offers UI's top five Dutch literature students a chance to take one-month short course in the Netherlands.

Bunga said her Dutch improved quickly because she had to use it during the course. English and other languages were forbidden.

"Participants came from several countries and we were not allowed to stay with friends in the dorm. My roommate was from Croatia and spoke no English, so we had to speak in Dutch, no matter what," she said.

Participants attended daily three-hour classes on culture, art and language and learned through discussions, games and case studies.

"The real learning sessions happened when we were outside class," she said.

For example, no one met Bunga up at the airport in the Netherlands and she needed to find her own way to the dorm.

"It was a bit scary, but I'd been told about the routes I could take. The experience convinced me that I could make it," she said.

Bunga said mingled with local people and learned about Dutch culture first hand.

"It was priceless," she said.

However, some students don't travel and opt to take classes during the summer break

"I have nothing to do, so I thought I could take some subjects now and finish school faster," said Henry Spencer, a business student at Tarumanagara University (UT) in West Jakarta.

Henry took two subjects during his school's short semester last year, however he was not sure if he would take classes this year because UT has changed the system.

"The short semester this year is only for students who want to retake classes. I don't know if I will take classes or not. I have to see the schedule first," he said.

"It's not as good as the old system where students could take subjects in advance," Henry said.

P.Y. Nur Indro, a lecturer at the International Relations department at Unpar, said inter-session semesters were designed to accelerate a student's course of study.

However, the summer semester was better for students who had already studied the same subjects during the regular semester, he said.

"There is not enough time to digest a subject," said Nur, who will teach Indonesian Foreign Policy in this year's short semester. Classes meet twice a week in the inter-session semester and once a week in the regular semester.

The best way for a student to spend the inter-session semester is to divide time between self-indulgence and courses, he added.

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