What is Dual/Concurrent Enrollment?
Have you heard stories of students finishing an associate’s degree before they finish high school and wondered, how in the world did they do that? It’s no secret that many students take college classes while in high school, but how? Dual/concurrent enrollment is one great way to get a jump start on college before high school graduation. There are many benefits to taking college classes early, but also a few cautions. Let’s talk about both!
So, what is dual/concurrent enrollment? According to the US Department of Education, dual/concurrent enrollment refers to an agreement between the school and the community college or university that allows students to enroll in courses that count for high school and college credit. This is an amazing opportunity and allows students to get a sense of the kind of work they can expect in college while also challenging themselves as high school students. In addition, families save a little money on college costs and students arrive on campus better prepared to succeed.
How do I enroll? The best place to start is with the school counselor. School counselors not only provide social and emotional support but can also serve as college and career advisors. Many schools have a college and career counselor on staff. Find this person and get to know them well! Since school counselors typically register students for classes, they can often help students determine how to use their elective credits based on future career goals and which dual/concurrent enrollment opportunities are the best fit. If you think there are greater opportunities available that maybe your student is not taking advantage of, trust your gut and make an appointment to meet with the school counselor. Students often take career interest profilers as early as ninth grade. Ask questions about your student’s profile and help your student identify dual/concurrent enrollment opportunities that will help them get a jump start on their college career.
Why the caution? Well, as I’m sure you can imagine, college classes typically have more rigorous expectations—specifically around reading requirements. Oftentimes, college textbooks are written by professors and not educators. Educators frequently craft textbooks in a way that gradually introduces the material over an extended period of time. Many college textbooks are written by college professors and are not organized in this same manner. This is should NOT be a barrier but is something students should be aware of when enrolling in reading and writing-intensive college courses. STEM textbooks will look a bit more familiar but will cover twice the information in a semester as a typical high school class.
Here are seven tips for dual/concurrent enrollment success.
READ the syllabus, which has all the dates and assignments due for the course. This is the class contract and signing up for a college course means you agree to follow.
Use a planner to organize your assignments, exams, and group expectations.
Backwards plan to avoid completing major assignments the night before. College assignments are created to demonstrate understanding, not practice, so students should allow for plenty of time to produce quality work.
Plan to spend on average 2 – 3 hours per week for each college credit. For example, a three-credit English course will require 6 – 9 hours of attention per week.
Ask questions when help is needed. There is no need to struggle with an expert in the room.
Get a clear understanding of who covers the cost of the course and under what conditions.
Encourage dialogue about what is being learned in the class. When the student is forced to explain the subject, it reinforces their learning and creates an opportunity to bond over their academic experiences.
There are many paths to prepare for life beyond high school. For students and families that are considering college as a next step, seeking academic and social opportunities such as honors classes, advanced placement (AP) courses, and/or dual/concurrent enrollment courses will help get the ball rolling on future college success.
Culturing success one conversation at a time!
Dr. TB
