Why are students scrambling to take college classes?
It is no mystery that students at Foothill tend to be slight overachievers; taking on extra classes at the community college has become the norm for many students and just another step towards fulfilling A-G requirements in order to graduate.
Some students take just one or two classes in order to get the requirements over and done with, others have taken so many extra classes that they are able to transfer into major universities when the time to apply to colleges comes around their senior year.
Such is the case of Senior Brent Ocker, who has taken the sufficient number of classes to qualify for his Associate’s Degree before he has graduated high school.
“Taking extra classes, especially the microbiology and anatomy courses definitely helped me out in my classes at Foothill and they provide and advantage for applying to colleges because I will be going in as a junior instead of a freshman,” Ocker says.
Students have a great privilege in being able to get ahead in school if they would like to, but some worry that not having extra college courses on their high school transcripts might jeopardize their chances of getting into college, especially when they are competing with students who have taken advantage of the opportunity.
“It is so much easier to take classes at Ventura College, it’s not that much extra work and all you have to do is show up and get your work done, it’s just like normal school,” says senior Bradley Pupa, who has taken six classes at VC.
Students who take classes at the college say they are just another class and not that much extra work; some might even say it makes life easier.
The high cost of a college education seems to be one of the primary reasons for taking college courses in high school.
Senior Kaval Ali has taken a year’s worth of general education courses in the past couple years. Said Ali, “Saving money and knowing that I would be a year ahead of everyone in class motivated me to take on extra classes.”
It is evident that getting accepted to universities has become much more competitive now than in the past. By taking an additional course or two, students hope to show colleges that they are determined to do whatever it takes to receive their acceptance letters.
Going the extra mile is unquestionably a must if one hopes to be a contender in the battle for college acceptance. College classes are proving to be a major advantage for those looking to save money and to achieve more than just a normal high school education before moving on to universities.
