The Social Side of Dual Enrollment
With dual enrollment programs, high school students can take college classes and earn credits for free or reduced fees, but unlike AP or IB, classes are taken through an actual college. These programs are a great a way to try out college-level work and save on tuition, but what about the social side of dual enrollment? Here are some things to consider:
photo by Jake Shepherd
Your social life in high school - At your high school, you can stay involved in clubs, sports and classes if you make time for them, but the added work and responsibility of college courses can take away from that. At your college, students might invite you to join clubs, go to events, or rush for a sorority or fraternity. How active would your social life be in the college setting? What would you feel comfortable being a part of with older students? How much of a social life would you maintain at your high school? Which activities would make the best use of your time? How do you balance both sides with a more sensitive schedule and work load?
At your four-year school - If you earn dual enrollment credits at a community college, remember that the environment is usually much different from what you’d experience at a traditional four-year school. Community college students might range from other high schoolers to traditional college students to working adults. This has some great educational advantages, but it can be an adjustment. Even if you earn your dual enrollment credits at a four-year school or go on to a community college, the lifestyle of balancing high school and college aren’t the same as being fully in the college setting. With the credit, you’ll also probably have more advanced classes with older students (on top of making all the social and personal adjustments of starting college), but you’ll attend freshman orientation and live in the dorms with a completely different set of people. Speaking of living in the dorms, some schools only guarantee housing for freshman or underclassmen, so if your credits qualify you beyond that, you’ll need to communicate with housing to ensure a spot on campus or you’ll need to find an apartment nearby.
After college - Are you comfortable turning 21 after you’ve graduated or towards the end of your college career? If you use the head-start on credits to graduate early, will you be ready to jump into the job market and start paying student loans at just 20 or 21? Or if you’re thinking about going to graduate school right after college, will you be ready to be devoted to test prep and completing applications shortly after starting college? Think about the investment of time and the other skills, experiences and contacts involved with applying for a job or grad school. While earning dual enrollment credit doesn’t necessarily mean you have to graduate early, these are questions worth asking yourself.
Academically and financially, dual enrollment can be a great choice for many students. Ultimately, your educational goals should take priority over a few social inconveniences, but if you’re thinking about dual enrollment, it’s wise to starting thinking about some of the challenges ahead.
