Senior year is a strange time. You’re the oldest kids in the school district, you and your peers are finally turning eighteen, and you’re on the brink of graduation, which marks the start of your life as a young adult. It’s essentially a transition time.
Speaking of transitions, senior year is also the year in which students do the most preparation for college. Many seniors here at PVHS are taking classes through Scott Community College, whether that be actually at the college or taught here at PVHS. Either way, the college classes come with a huge workload and amount of responsibility.
Most seniors are in these classes in order to get a head start in college, meaning that when they enroll as a freshman they will have some credits already fulfilled, but how much effort does it take? Is the workload that comes along with college classes too much for some of those in high school?
As someone who is currently in two college classes myself, I’m not here to push down the idea of college in high school. I would be a hypocrite if that was the case. However, the further this semester progressed, the more and more stressed I became as I tried to find time to complete my massive amount of homework, a lot of the times from my two college classes, in the tough and narrow high school schedule that I, and many other high school students, are currently in. We are at school for six-to-seven hours a day, five days a week. Many of us have jobs, extracurriculars, and other obligations that prevent us from having a lot of time outside of school.
In college, however, the schedule is a lot different. Classes don’t usually meet every day, and most students have a lot more free time throughout the day as well. Therefore, students can take more initiative to work on their own and get things done on their own terms, instead of having to spend nearly all day in a classroom.
So, is it a good idea to take college classes in high school that will require more study time than some students can allot for?
“I’m currently in five college classes, and although it can get very difficult at times, I still think it’s a great idea in order to get ahead,” says senior Rachael Souhrada.
“The grading system is a lot different for college classes,” says senior Maddux Snook, who is currently in two college classes. “And there is a lot of homework.”
Essentially, it’s all in the hands of the student. If you think you can handle it, go for it, but it definitely won’t be an easy ride. If you do opt to take a college class, make sure to take that into consideration when signing up for other classes, and make sure to never let yourself get behind. College is hard.
