High school blogger Olivia Duell talks about her experience with dual enrollment, which allows her to take college-level courses and earn college credit:
It
was my junior year when I first began my experience with dual enrollment. When
I signed up for my classes, I was unsure of what dual enrollment entails, so it
didn’t mean that much to me. I had always been in honors classes throughout my
middle school and high school careers, so I assumed that dual enrollment was
just a fancier title for “honors”. This idea is a common misconception. The
expectations in a dual enrollment class may be just as high as those in a
regular honors class, but dual enrollment comes with a few extra features that
honors classes can’t and don’t offer.
To
clarify, dual enrollment is a way of taking a class in high school that also
earns college credits. My high school is teamed up with the local community
college, Tompkins Cortland Community College (TC3); therefore, I earn TC3
college credits with the completion of every dual enrollment course I take. So
far I’ve completed four courses for dual credit: a business class (Business Analysis/Business Computer
Applications) and Pre-Calculus,
both of which were split into two semesters over the year (to equal four
courses total). Each class earned me about three to four credits for each
semester. These credits will be added to those I earn this year for English 101, English 102, Calculus
201, Calculus 202, and College & Career Prep/INVEST. Each course is quite strenuous, and I
have to keep my grades relatively high, but I will have near 30 college credits
if I successfully complete them all.
Dual
enrollment is a great option for me because my school doesn’t offer very many
Advanced Placement (AP) classes; I’ve only been able to take AP United States
History during my four years of high school. However, dual enrollment works
just as well to stand out on a transcript as taking AP courses does. These
courses are college-level courses based on the college’s own curriculum. I know
I’m getting a special chance to learn what normal, high-school level classes
can’t teach me, and this work shows how much I’m challenging myself.
I
was also excited to learn that dual enrollment helps you build up a vast amount
of college credits for no cost. Yet when I visited my college choices, I was
crestfallen when I was told that the college credits I’ve built up may not be
accepted. Some of my friends who will attend TC3 for two years will be able to
save money and won’t have to take courses they have already completed in high
school. But transferring is not for me; I plan on going to a four year school, and
many four year schools (at least those that I am applying to) haven’t started
accepting dual enrollment credits yet. This reality is a bit of a downfall, but
I do know that if I am forced to take calculus again in college, I will at
least have a solid chunk of background knowledge.
To
sum up, I will explain the pros and cons I have been faced with. The pros
include: an impressive transcript; a cheaper college cost if you attend the
college you received dual credit from or if you attend a college that accepts
your dual credit; a heightened academic high school experience; and experience
with what college courses expect. The cons are that you have to keep your nose
in the books and work extremely hard; you may also feel as though your work is
for nothing when the college you choose makes you take the same course over
again. But this is a minor flaw; I advocate taking dual enrollment courses, for
it strengthens your knowledge and challenges you. I would have been so bored
this year just sticking with general subject classes, and these classes remind
me that senior year isn’t a year for slacking off.
On
that note, I have some calculus and some English 101 to do for tomorrow. Before
doing so, I’ll be re-reading this to remind myself of why I’m putting myself
through this—but all joking aside, it really is worth it.
Interested in dual enrollment? Here are some pros and cons. For more stories from students themselves, check out the archives for previous columns in The Admissions Diary.