Have you ever thought about getting college credits before you even graduate? In dual-credit programs, you earn credit that goes toward your high school requirements; and at the same time, you also earn college credit. At SPASH, for example, students can take Intro to Diversity Studies, Infant and Toddler Development, and Automotive Technology. Dual credit courses have multiple benefits that will help you in the future with time management, organization, and how to handle your stress. 

Dual credit courses can improve the outcome of your future because it allows you to take classes that are more in your interest of study and allow you to have an understanding of what a college course is like before you are taking one. They help with cost and stress levels as well. According to a study done by Berger A, Garet M, Hoshen G, Knudson J, and Turk-Bicakci L, it showed that around 2,458 students completed schooling by taking dual credits faster than those who didn’t take any dual credit courses. Chloe Rogers (a junior at SPASH) shared that “they can give you more credits for technical schools and other colleges or universities so you don’t need to take as many courses to get the credits you need when you are there.”

Dual credit courses can help you with time management since you are doing those courses on top of your regular high school classes. Time management and organization is a very important part of taking a dual credit course because it will help you keep on top of your homework for those courses along with your regular classwork. It can also help you become more prepared for the future by allowing you to learn how a college class is set up and what they expect out of you. Brianna Bierman (a junior at SPASH) shared with me “that dual credit courses can be beneficial by saving you some money and time along with better preparing you for college.” The results of one study done in 2015 by Edmunds J, Unlu F, Glennie E, Bernstein L, Fesler L, Furey J, and Arshavsky N, showed that around 1,355 students who take dual credit courses are more likely to be more prepared for college than those who do not take any sort of dual credit course.

Dual credit courses can help reduce stress in students because they will allow them to learn about how a college course works and what they expect out of you. It also allows you to take a lead on getting done with college credits that you would need to take your first year of college depending on what you want to go into. Brianna Bierman (a junior at SPASH) shared with me that they think that “it can reduce stress because you won’t have to worry about all the money you might need to spend on the course if you take it during college because it is free to take at school.” The results of a study done by Berger A, Garet M, Hoshen G, Knudson J, and Turk-Bicakci L showed that around 2,141 students who take these courses are less stressed in the future when thinking about college than those who do not take these courses.

Ultimately, getting dual credits in high school will help students with different skills that they can use in the future. They can help with time management/organization and lowering stress levels; which will allow students to have an easier time when they transition from high school to college.