The economic downturn may have contributed to a record student roll at the University of Otago's latest summer school.
Enrolments are up 9.3% to 2368, compared with 2166 last year.
And effective full-time student numbers rose about 10% (by 31.5) to 344.5 at the annual school.
School director Dr Claire Matthewson said it was a "really good" result and a "pleasing surprise" given the roll had been stable over the previous three years.
About 1820 students attended the latest school, up about 140 (about 8%) from 1680 last year.
The summer school offers students the chance to gain academic credit for six-week courses that would usually take 13 weeks to complete during the main academic year.
Students can opt to take one or two papers.
It was unclear exactly why numbers were up, but difficulty finding student summer jobs may have contributed, Dr Matthewson said.
"They want to do something else productive. They decide to keep studying," she said.
Other university summer schools throughout the country had also reported increased attendance this year, she said.
Student Job Search national organisers told the Otago Daily Times last month job offers through the national job search body fell 20% this summer.
Dr Matthewson said the economic downturn could also be having other effects.
She noted that "quite a number" of students were using the school this year to complete their university degrees.
"It puts pressure on them to get through and get a job before the job market declines any further," she said.
The most recent previous rise in the roll - by more than 50 effective full-time student to about 300 - occurred in 2005, when 11 extra papers were offered at the school.
Of the six most popular papers at this year's school, three were in commerce, one in law, one in forensic biology and one was an English paper on effective writing.
While international student numbers were down about 10%, this was more than offset by a rise in domestic students.
