Most people agree that getting a “jumpstart” on one’s college experience can be a really good thing.

For about 100 students planning to enroll at Dalton State this fall, that jumpstart turned into a “done deal” when the Summer Bridge Program hosted its graduation ceremony on campus on Friday.

“Summer Bridge is a four-week program designed to help students get off to a strong start in their college career,” said Jodi Johnson, vice president for enrollment and student services.

“This summer’s program was very successful,” she added. “We had a great response from the students. And most of them participated in a field trip to Chattanooga on the next-to-the-last day where they toured the Hunter Museum, took a cruise on the historic Southern Belle riverboat, and saw the new Batman movie.”

Any freshmen students entering during fall semester can apply for admission to the Summer Bridge Program, but space is limited.

The program, which is free, includes four weeks of classes taught by Dalton State faculty. Students are placed in small groups which rotate through up to four non-credit classes per day: math, English, reading and study skills. This summer, a credit course in history, the History of Sports, was also offered.

“This program has many benefits in addition to allowing students to interact with college faculty and to receive free instruction in several of the basic college courses that they’ll be taking in the fall,” Johnson said. “For many students, Summer Bridge helps take away much of the anxiety that they feel before coming to college.

“And for those who tested into learning support English and math classes, preparation for college work is invaluable. Last summer, 80 percent of the students who originally tested for those learning support classes who retook the COMPASS test exempted those classes before school began that fall. And 50 percent of those who retook the COMPASS test were able to exempt math learning support classes before the fall semester began.”

One of the plusses, said Johnson, is that students frequently save time and money because they’re able to reduce the number of learning support courses they may need to take in the fall.

“The Summer Bridge Program is a great way to make sure that you have the tools for success that you need before you start your college career,” Johnson said.