Dual credit classes have countless benefits for high school students and their futures. Students have the opportunity of taking a college level course in high school as one of their class periods. Dual credit classes, unlike AP classes, don’t have a standardized test at the end of the year, already taking some of the stress off. Taking dual credit courses introduces students to the expectations of colleges and universities.

Shadow Ridge High School offers many different dual credit courses including English 101/102, Political Science 101, Math 126/127, History 101/102, Sociology 101/102, and Education 203/250 

Many students are cautious of dual credit classes because they seem considerably more difficult than the normal courses students are used to. This misconception can prevent students who could greatly benefit from dual credit classes from taking them. Dual credit classes offer a unique opportunity to get a head start on college courses and save money while doing so. 

Dual credit courses are significantly cheaper than college courses. Nevada State University charges $25 per credit for their dual credit course, whereas college credits at UNLV and UNR are $280 per credit.  In the best case scenario, it is possible to save 95% on college courses.

Dual enrollment credits are valid at most colleges, but credits earned at Shadow Ridge are guaranteed eligibility at UNLV, CSN, NSU, and UNR.

High school students who don’t experience the expectations of college classes are usually shocked by the changes in their courses. High school classes in CCSD, for example, have a retake and a makeup policy. Missing a test day in college rather than high school has a much bigger impact on a students grade and overall experience. 

Dual credit history teacher, Erik Pack stated, “It is more beneficial to learn the expectations sooner rather than later. For many students, they may be shocked to experience college level expectations for the first time as a high school graduate. Colleges have strict deadlines and clear expectations. When you fail a class you must pay to take it again a second time. Turning in work late, missing class on test days, and failing to meet other expectations all result in detrimental consequences.”

Taking dual credit classes can make sense for students who are already planning on going to college, even more so if that college is within the state of Nevada. While dual credit courses aren’t inherently harder by nature, they can be harder for students who struggle with being timely. Dual credit courses do not follow the CCSD grade reform policy because they are also college courses. This leaves the late policy to the discretion of the teacher responsible for the course and these policies tend to be stricter.

Shadow Ridge English 101/102 teacher Paige Smith said, “Someone who is excited about their education and willing to expand their knowledge at a more challenging level is someone who should consider taking dual enrollment classes.”

By getting early exposure to the college experience, students can better prepare themselves for the real thing. It also helps to alleviate some of the stress caused by going to college.

Pack stated, “The purpose of learning, education, and high school is to develop skills and abilities. Students should progressively challenge themselves more and more during their high school career in order to develop skills and abilities. That doesn’t mean every student should enroll in every dual credit class. However, if they are confident in their abilities towards a certain subject, they should definitely consider stepping up. I fully believe that taking only honors classes for every single subject will not adequately prepare a student for many colleges. In terms of workload, it will vary between instructors.”

Graduating from college early is also an opportunity which can be possible for students who take dual credit courses. This allows students to save money which would’ve been spent on living expenses and tuition.

Students who struggle with a particular subject can take advantage of dual credit classes to get a one on one experience with high school teachers, not readily available in a traditional college environment.

Shadow Ridge English 101/102 student Karissa Murdoch, stated ”I think the hardest part is that you have to stay on top of your work, because you can’t turn in late assignments, and if you do you usually get points marked off.”