Senior Ellie Becker recently completed 28 college credits, enough to bypass her freshman year in college...all without leaving the KAHS campus. Here she responds to a Q&A about her experience:
What college classes did you take at KAHS? I took College Algebra, College Personal Finance, College Trigonometry, College Intro to Business, College Composition I, College Calculus I, College Composition II, and College Intro to Statistics.
Describe your experience taking those classes.
My experiences taking those classes were positive. All the teachers were super helpful and gave more hands on help then those who go PSEO. I felt more comfortable with the teachers and could connect with them better. I also was given lots of work time in class to complete homework, projects, or essays.
In what ways did your college classes FEEL like a college class instead of a HS class?
The college classes are definitely more rigorous than a normal class at Kimball. I felt like that helped prepare me for my next step of life. The expectations were set early which helped me still feel supported during the class. It is a good in-between before college.
Why did you choose college-in-the-school instead of PSEO?
I chose to take college classes at the high school instead of PSEO to still get the high school experience. I didn't want to miss out on hanging out with friends or school activities, but I still wanted to challenge myself.
What are your plans for next year? How will these credits help you?
My plan for next year is to study finance at the University of North Dakota. These credits will help me by not needing to take a lot of generals. I won't have to take as many math classes or English classes.
What advice do you have for students considering college-in-the school vs PSEO?
My advice would be to not rush through life. You only have four years in high school, so you should make the most of them. Furthermore, there are still ways to get ahead without missing out on high school. You have the rest of your life to work and go through college, but you only get a short time to be in high school.