Students at Northwest High School (NWHS) have the option to take dual enrollment through the Jackson Early College Program (JCEC). JCEC is where Freshmen through Seniors can take college-level courses throughout high school to obtain an associate’s degree by the time of graduation.
These students have a dedicated ‘dual hour’ that allows extra time to be spent on their college work, including additional assignments. Eventually, work between high school and college can pile up. Will having double the work lead to double the stress?
The two biggest requirements in order to participate in the program are having a good attendance record and a grade-point average (GPA). This enables students to come fully prepared for something more complex compared to high school classes. For registering, it shows dedication and care for academics, which is what dual students should embody.
The purpose of the college advisors is to help students navigate towards a path of success by helping them through the struggles they encounter. NWHS Senior counselor, Karyn Blume, is one who manages this program throughout the school and sits down with students to enroll, along with Jean Logan, head of the JCEC program, Mike Reynolds, assistant to the JCEC program, and Mayce Nunez, the NWHS student success navigator.
Taking dual enrollment in high school through the JCEC program can be beneficial because it lowers financial costs for tuition by providing students with a 13th year that is completely paid for by the school. It also enables students to learn critical thinking skills, self-discipline, and time management, which are huge parts of being a successful college student.
While dual enrollment has exceptional benefits, it can include downsides. An observation made by Blume is that dual students tend to skim over the introduction syllabus. This leads students to struggle the most with turning in assignments because of how each professor has a different teaching style, alongside different deadlines that do not correspond with the average high school teachers who take late work throughout the semester.
“The more organization, the more success you’re going to have,” said Blume.
A tip for beginning dual students is to stay organized throughout the course. Managing a heavy workload in a disorganized setting can cause extreme burnout and pent-up stress, especially when the program is entirely independent.
“I suggest that kids get a calendar and print out the due dates for everything, so that they know when everything’s due,” said Blume. “If it says it’s due at 11:59 P.M. on a Sunday night, don’t try to turn it in at 12 A.M.”
Junior Savannah McFall is currently doing the dental occupations program at the career center while managing dual enrollment. She plans to pursue a career path in the dental field as a dental hygienist and is currently taking ENG-131 and HIS-132, a college English and History class.
She has experienced the downsides and the upsides of the program. A struggle she has faced was having to rely on herself to teach her the basics of navigating and getting to know the college environment, which is far different from high school.
Dual enrollment can also interfere with extracurricular activities, as the workload can intensify if not completed. McFall overcomes this by enabling herself to multitask between maintaining her social life and getting assignments done.
“I’d say I struggle a lot, I don’t really have a timed schedule planned out,” said McFall. “I do see my friends and stuff, but I go back and forth, and I just fit it in.”
A skill she has gained throughout her journey is having the courage to ask for help when needed. A big thing most students struggle with is asking for help on assignments that they have trouble understanding. The skill of asking for help is important to learn because it boosts confidence and self-esteem through learning ways of improvement for future assignments.
Balancing the laborious life of a college student while being in high school can either be a blessing or a curse, depending on the individual. Finding the right motivation and dedication can lead to success, no matter the troubles one faces. Although Dual Enrollment can give students a fast track to a college career, it can cause a stressful time in one’s high school life. At the end of the day, as long as students are making progress for their future, they’ll never find themselves losing.
