Dual Enrollment: Tips for Success

Dual-enrollment is a great opportunity that you should take in high school. Dual-enrollment is essentially taking college classes while in high school.Taking college classes are especially helpful for your college admissions, since not only can you earn college credits, but it demonstrates your ability to handle the rigor of college courses. As an early college student, I have been taking college classes since I was a freshman and over time, I learned tips and skills when it comes to dual-enrollment.

1. Having a planner

This tip might sound simple but it was a life-changing lesson I learned. Having a planner helped me keep track of my assignments and due dates. I suggest finding your own way to keep track of your assignment such as finding an app on your phone, using sticky-notes, and much more!

1. Ask questions and go to office hours

This was especially important for me, as I was a student who typically chose to figure things out whenever I was confused, instead of seeking help by asking questions. This had to change when I started dual-enrollment, since the concepts in college courses require more attention to comprehend, which was why I struggled a lot in the beginning. If you are like me, I recommend staying behind in class and asking your teacher questions or for clarification. I would also recommend visiting their office hours to get extra help or ask any remaining questions you have.

1. Study buddy/Peer Group

Having a study buddy or peer group essentially means finding other students who take the same class as you that want to work together. This does not mean you are copying each other's answers, since that would defeat the purpose of learning. A study buddy or a peer group helps and supports each other with the assignment. This can be done in different ways by meeting in person in a quiet area or meeting through video chatting and working on assignments together on a call.

1. Having a relationship with your teacher/professor

It is important to have a relationship with your teacher/professor. This tip can go back to the second tip as well. Having a relationship with your instructor can help you do well in your class. For example, I was struggling with my college Calculus and I finally sought help from my teacher. When I sought out help, my teacher was able to give me the one-on-one attention I needed and help guide me in the class. This relationship that I had with my teacher was beneficial to me and I ended up passing the class. It might be difficult to have a relationship with your instructor especially if you are learning virtual but you can find ways around that!

1. Time management

When you start dual-enrollment classes, it is important for you to have time-management skills. Sometimes you might have to deal with a lot of assignments at once from both of your high school and college classes. You would often need to prioritize one class from another. My suggestion is to set aside time for each of your classes and do your assignments ahead of time. This would help you in the long run and prevent you from overwhelming yourself with a bunch of assignments.

I hope these tips are beneficial when you start dual-enrollment classes. Starting dual-enrollment classes is not easy because college classes are a huge transition from high school classes. You will gain a lot of important skills from doing dual-enrollment which would make your college journey easier. Best of luck to you!

Link: www.uopeople.edu/blog/the-low-down-on-dual-enrollment/