Take it From Me…You Need to Figure Out What Comes Next (Part 1)

Utilize AP, Dual Credit, and CLEP as a high schooler or soon-to-be high school graduate. If you plan on attending a two-year or four-year college someday, you’ll enter already having college credits thus decreasing the amount of time (and hopefully the amount of money) you’ll have to come up with. If you’re a rising junior or senior reading this, find out how you can register for classes next year that will give you the potential to earn college credit like AP (which you’ll receive credit for if you score a certain amount of the test (the number varies on the college/university you may one day transfer to, so make sure to check)) or Dual Credit sections (which does not involve a test to earn credit, but you may need to take a college entrance exam like the TSI if your SAT/ACT/STAAR scores aren’t high enough). 

You can still earn college credit without having to take the course by CLEPing out of courses. This works well if you know you’re strong enough in a subject or subjects to test out of having to sit through a semester of classes, but online resources like Crash Course and Khan Academy can also help you prepare to take the CLEP test (I’ve worked with students who have used these options to help with AP and CLEP prep, and they have scored high enough on these tests to test out of certain subjects, thus allowing them to move on to major-related courses sooner). 

• For exams that cost money, you may be eligible for a fee waiver, so check with your counselor, advisor, or online to find out the eligibility requirements.   
• If you did not graduate high school but would like your high school diploma, you may be able to re-enroll in a high school in your area depending on your age and how far you made it before leaving school. If not, you can look for GED Prep classes in your community to get you ready for the exam or study on your own before taking the four-subject exam. 

Two-year college to take care of your gen-eds: there are several benefits of attending a two-year college to earn freshman- and sophomore-level credits. For one, it’s a fraction of the cost to attend a four-year college or university if you’re not able to get enough financial aid to cover your costs. Another benefit is the fact that you can get your general requirements out of the way. These are classes you’d have to take no matter where you go and what you major in (like freshman composition, at least one math class, and lab sciences). Even if you’re not sure what you want to major in, getting your basics out of the way will allow you to get closer to starting major-related classes once you decide what you want to do and where you want to go. Having at least a few classes under your belt will also better prepare you for the rigors of university. If you graduated from high school without AP tests or Dual Credit, starting at a two-year college may make financial, schedule, and location sense for you.    

If you feel like you’re ready to go to a four-year school and are prepared to handle class expectations, financial costs, and time obligations, go for it. Even better if you already know what you want to major in, but depending on how many (if any) hours you transfer in, taking care of your gen-eds will take your first few semesters. Hopefully by that time, you’ll have a better idea of what you want to major in. If you’re still completely at a loss, talk to an advisor, make a meeting at your campus’s career center, or think about some potential career paths or people you look up in positions you’d one day like to hold and find out what they majored in. Another option could be your school’s General Studies or Interdisciplinary Studies programs, which allow you to earn a bachelor’s degree while being able to explore several fields instead of having to focus on only one or two.