During many students’ 4 years of high school, they look forward to life after high school and crave the college experience. Some students may even go the extra mile to rush into college during high school.
Taking college courses while in high school allows dual enrollment students to still enjoy their high school experience while also seeing what college life is like. Many dual enrollment students love the double experience, but the reasons for which they take those courses may vary.
STEM sophomore Ellison Ashton-Isa shares, “ I took college courses prior to and throughout high school because I have a passion for learning and I have always wanted to reach further than the classes offered at school.”
Many, like Ashton-Isa, take college courses to take classes that aren’t taught in high school out of passion for learning more about the topic. Others, like SAS junior Joshua Kim, say that they took dual enrollment courses to get ahead in their education. Kim quotes, “My main reason for taking college courses during high school was to fulfill certain graduation requirements and also get ahead for when I go off to college.”
Even though a majority of the NHHS campus has taken or is taking a college class, the application process can be a bit confusing. SAS junior Zora Chou shares her thoughts on the application process: “The application process is honestly pretty confusing at first, but I was able to get a lot of help from the college center, where they explained everything, guided me through the process, and gave me tips.”
Despite the confusing application system, many students take this route because they’re able to complete the necessary credits for high school or college. Completing these credits earlier than planned can allow the student to possibly graduate early or even avoid paying for more courses during college!
With the long application process, many question why one would partake in dual enrollment when NHHS already offers 20+ Advanced Placement courses, which are college-level courses. Both types of classes have their benefits and drawbacks, but it’s always a good idea to take both and see which ones work better for you!
Despite there being 1000+ AP students at North Hollywood High School, students tend to prefer dual enrollment classes rather than AP classes because the credit earned doesn’t rely on earning a 3 or higher on a test like APs, but rather on earning a C or higher in the class. Also, Community Colleges offer a wide scope of courses that are very useful for high school students who want a clearer understanding of an interest that can possibly be their major/ subject in the near future!
When asked if he prefers AP or dual enrollment classes, SAS junior Joshua Kim shares, “I would recommend dual enrollment for certain classes that you are more interested in or that are required for high school… However, I think APs do offer a lot, despite the workload. It really pushes people to greater lengths, but can be very stressful.”
Taking a college class while in high school seems like a crazy task to manage, especially on top of the workload you would already have from high school. Even though this is the perception of college classes during high school, many dual enrollment students would argue the opposite!
Chou states, “I don’t think dual enrollment is difficult to manage as long as you are consistently checking Canvas and on top of your assignments. The professors are a lot stricter with deadlines, so I’d say being on top of my work was what made it more manageable.”
Nevertheless, both of the course types are college-level classes, meaning that a student juggling dual enrollment with regular high school classes, compared to a student juggling AP courses with regular classes, would undoubtedly have similar traits. Many students who take either AP or dual enrollment know that they’re taking more difficult classes and acknowledge the amount of work and time that goes into them.
It is always important to know what works for you when deciding to take college-level courses while still in high school. No matter the reason why or how students take dual enrollment courses, they’re a great choice to get on top of their credits and explore different career paths to prepare for their future!
