To many high school students, obtaining good grades throughout their high school career is important, and many even reach above and beyond high school for their education. While in high school, several students at Potosi High have taken AP level courses and online classes through Southwest Technical College. 

As a senior at Potosi, Brooklyn Friederick is one of those students. Brooklyn started taking college courses her junior year and continued into her last year of high school. Managing these courses was difficult at first because Brooklyn did not have time in school to work on her college class, while senior year it seemed to be much more manageable for her because of an independent study hour that allowed her to get her college work done. So far Brooklyn has taken psychology, sociology, medical terminology and is working on getting her certified nursing assistant certification, and will be taking statistics this upcoming semester. Brooklyn chose these courses in preparation for her future after high school, where she intends to go into the medical field. Brooklyn believes that anyone who is “willing to put in time and effort into college classes” should because the school pays for the credits, saving you time and money. 

Like Brooklyn, senior Amanda Roling has also taken several different dual credit college courses. For Amanda, these classes started her sophomore year and have continued through her senior year. Classes like statistics, psychology, economics, speech, are a few classes that Amanda takes online through Southwest Technical College. Amanda also takes advantage of taking Advanced Placement classes offered at Potosi High School such as AP Chemistry, AP Literature and Composition, and AP Environmental Science, in hopes of preparing herself for similar classes as she approaches college. Amanda believes that taking college classes while still in high school is “a good learning experience for everyone who wants to continue their education and a good way to get free credits while still in high school.” One of Amanda’s biggest challenges while taking college courses was learning how to manage her time wisely because the courses gave her some freedom. Taking these classes is free for any student at the high school, which was a huge benefit for Amanda so she does not have to pay for them when she goes to college in the fall. 

Not only is it the free college credit that draws students into taking college courses in high school, but also the hope and dedication to further their education in the future. Both Amanda and Brooklyn have found many different reasons why they have benefited from taking advanced and college-level courses, and are encouraging younger students to do the same. Overall, college courses seem to be a great way to begin your path toward furthering your education after high school.