Should college-bound students consider signing up for a dual credit program?
“I believe that if you plan to go to college, you should take dual credit,” senior Mailie Trotta says. I can’t help but agree with her, and it’s safe to say that everyone else should, too.
Dual enrollment classes are classes that you can earn college credits in, but why are they worth it? They allow you to earn college and high school credits at the same time, they cost less than regular college classes, and they’re genuinely not as hard as they sound.
You can take them on Silverado’s campus, so you have the leisure of not having to drive to an actual college campus. They’re available for juniors and seniors, so you have a chance to try them out in junior year and continue if you enjoy it. College seems like a scary concept, but it surprised me and many others on how pleasant the experience is.
Enrolling in a dual credit class allows you to get a head start on mandatory core classes. General education classes are needed for any college you go to. Silverado currently offers nine different dual enrollment class options. You can sign up for ENG101/ENG102, COM101, MATH120/MATH124, PSC101, MUS125, HIST101/HIST102, PSY101, SOC101, and ANTH101. They’re able to help you start doing classes required for your major, or help you decide what you want to do in the future. You can also take them just for fun!
“I wanted to join dual credit for the college credits so I didn’t have to pay thousands to take my courses later,” Trotta says.
The benefit that interests the most people is the reduced cost of taking these courses. For the 2023-2024 school year, the school paid for two semester classes for everyone taking dual credit. There’s a payment of $75 per semester per course, but will cost you less in the long run. You’d be saving $700 in tuition costs, and it’s a major difference.
“If you focus and stay on schedule, it’s easy to keep up with,” Trotta says.
I agree with her. It’s important to make sure that you have a reason that motivates you to keep going. I’m currently in two dual enrollment classes: ANTH101 and ENG102. CCSD policies don’t apply to dual credit, and as a student who hasn’t previously taken any honors or advanced placement classes, I thought it was annoying that late work wasn’t allowed. Now that we’re starting the second semester, I’ve accepted that it’s just the way things go. There’s a phrase that says time doesn’t stop waiting for anyone, and it’s an important lesson to learn. Dual credit can help you work on your bad habits, or it can help you improve them and stick to your responsibilities.
In general, dual credit is a good way to go, no matter what your reason is for taking it.
