My Education

Running Start or Normal High School


  • Total voters
    38

curly.q13

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Dec 27, 2011
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Hey everyone, you all probably haven't seen me play in a long time. This is due to me focusing on my education during the school year. Ill make this thread quick. I am struggling with a decision for me education next year and I would like all of y'alls opinion.
So the state I happen to live in offers a high school program called "Running Start". This program allows juniors and seniors to be eligible for it. Basically it would allow me to take the of my high school classes at the local community college. It would then send me into college with TWO WHOLE YEARS of college already done and its FREE. I like it because I would only have to take 3 classes a quarter and it would give me more free time working off of a college schedule. The issue is I would miss the high school experience and I wouldn't see my friends as much. Im really struggling on the decision and would like y'alls opinion. Make your comments and ask me questions if u have them and thanks for the poll answers.
 
Okay, I took a 10 second break of studying over here so let me write this down quick, I personally would take the college thing. It might not seem like the best one but it will pay (ALSO 2 FREE YEARS OF COLLEGE MAN). Trust me on this, education will give you an amazing future. Take the Running Start program. Trust me on this one :)
 
Do it.

From my (limited) experience, the more time off college the better. You probably aren't putting everything you've got into it (like a certain spy) anyway, so what's the harm in getting out of a few years of college?

I'm pretty sure I can test out of a few years at my level, and it's great.
 
Hi curly! Great question. Something important to think about.

I took something similar to Running Start but we called it DE (duel enrollment). I graduated high school at the age of 16 and had enough college credits to equal 4 semesters of college, or about 2 years of college. This type of accelerated program isn't right for everyone though. It can be very stressful and there is not as much "fun time". Also, you miss out on what some people consider the perks of college (although I was never really into the parties, clubs and such).

I think it sounds like a great program but be sure to evaluate what it offers with your future goals and see if they line up.

P.S. FREE and college go great together. ;)
 
Curley - 100% of this...

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yT20BZ-pBZY[/ame]
 
Hi curly! Great question. Something important to think about.

I took something similar to Running Start but we called it DE (duel enrollment). I graduated high school at the age of 16 and had enough college credits to equal 4 semesters of college, or about 2 years of college. This type of accelerated program isn't right for everyone though. It can be very stressful and there is not as much "fun time". Also, you miss out on what some people consider the perks of college (although I was never really into the parties, clubs and such).

I think it sounds like a great program but be sure to evaluate what it offers with your future goals and see if they line up.

P.S. FREE and college go great together. ;)

IP nailed it. I skipped a grade and went to college early. It was tough and I always felt the need to "prove myself" as I was emotionally/mentally behind my peers.

In retrospect I'm still glad I did it, but it wasn't the easiest road.

Just do what's best for you, you're going to do just fine either way. The fact that you made this thread and asking the tough questions proves just that!

Best of luck!
 
hey man and i don't know you

i'll sum it up and say this

IF YOU DON'T GO TO COLLEGE YOUR STUPID!! I'M SERIOUS

i never had chance to go to college and never could afford it and i don't have a family persay

heck i droped outta high school and got my GED I KICK MYSELF IN THE ASS EVERY SINGLE DAY AND SO WHICH I HAD THE CHANCE

TAKE THIS WITH SOMEONE WITH SOME AGE I'M ALMOST 40

I'VE HAD TO DO HARD MANUAL LABOR FOR BARELY OVER MINIMUM WAGE MY WHOLE LIFE AND TRUST ME THAT'S NOT THE LIFE YOU WANT

AND BTW BOUT YOUR FRIENDS IF THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND THERE NOT TRUE FRIENDS AND BESIDES ONCE YOUR OUTTA HIGH SCHOOL YOU LOSE TRACK OF THEM


I HAVEN'T SEEN 95% OF PEOPLE I WENT TO SCHOOL WITH IN OVER 15 YEARS CAUSE THEY END UP MOVING AWAY AND GETTING MARRIED
 
You probably aren't putting everything you've got into it (like a certain spy)

(1 min of break) What is that supposed to mean >_>. I am trying to get a full free scholarship for all my years of pre med over here. Not easy ya know. I aim for the 100% :P


But dude, go ahead and finish high school and get those 2 years of free college, you can do it man!! I wish I had that program... I'd be in med school when I'm like 18............................................................................... not 22. Darn man.. do it!!!
 
Similar to this "Running Start" of yours, I enrolled in a charter school at a community college for my last two years of high school (and it was for free). I graduated with my diploma and an Associate's. Personally, I think being in college was easier than high school in some cases. The workload wasn't as big, but the individual grades weighed much more. As long as your diligent and won't let procrastination get the best of you, it's a good idea. (And it's awesome to enter university afterwards and not have to take any general education course.)

Fortunately for me, my best friends and I all went to the community college together. (Except one, but that's because she went to a university instead for a similar program, but it was very expensive.) I am not sure how much you care for the high school experience. Personally, I wasn't involved in my high school outside of classes, so I didn't have much of a "high school experience" anyway. ^^;

You should make a list of pros and cons for both. That may help a bit.
 
dang curly havent seen you around in a while :P

anyway i go to a normal-ish high school (its a bit out of the ordinary) with ap and honors classes and all that stuff
 
Long time no see man! And personally I would take the running start thing you could always see your friends outside of school hours

Sent from my Galaxy S4 using tapatalk
 
I've had friends do this, and to a person they regretted it. It removes a lot of the important part of high school (creating relationships with other people). It also removes a large, very critical part of your first years of college (meeting new people that aren't in your program).

It seems silly, but the relationships you build in the last years of high school and college will generally last you most of your life. You want to have connections, trust me.
 
This shouldn't even be a question, college is expensive! take it! take it! :O

As for a social life, college is an interesting place, it does give you the opportunity to have one and you can still make plans to see your HS friends. To be honest in my case the only friends I still have around are the ones from my first college experience. HS reunion was supposed to be this month and nothing has been planned and I haven't talked to anyone from HS in almost 5 yrs, we graduated in 2004. Good friends will stick around no matter what changes happen in life and some of them will call you up for ramen at random moments :P [lol Fullmetal]

All I can say is you'll make friends through your life experience so dont let that keep you from taking the opportunity. From HS to Community college, not a lot changes except for more freedom and you need to prioritize your work.

meh.. I've done most of the crazy stuff I couldn't do in HS in college so it will always be the most memorable for me, have fun but remember that college is expensive and you'll have to pay that back some day unless your parents are paying for it. I had to leave after my 2nd year because my university was uber expensive and went to work, I just started back at a community college last fall. There were many Fun times and many social events at university, but I regret not taking Community college first. I am hoping that when I go to the 4 yr this time around, I'll be more social and balanced.

Take advantage of any help you can get and with any time you have open make plans to see your friends, your hard work will pay off in the end and I wish you the best.
 
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I didn't see the "I dropped out because I was bored/ADHD, finished my diploma in Adult ed and after 4 years in the Air Force, my 24 year IT career has gotten in the way of finishing my degree", so I chose "Normal".
 
This is a tough decision indeed! I guess it depends on you, and who YOU are in high school.

Myself, I would have chosen the full 4 years of High School. Why? Well quite simple actually. I was a Jock! lol I played 4 sports every year in high school and to be honest, Junior and Senior years were some of the best years of my life! (so far) Football, Swimming, Golf, and Tack & Field. I was a "Good" High School athlete, but not good enough for any D1 College Team. And as most of you know, if you were good at sports in HS, you got all the pretty girls and you had so many friends you couldn't count them all! Parties every weekend, teachers loved you, and you could pretty much do and get away with whatever you wanted.

But, that is all over now. I've got no more pretty girl and my list of friends is down to about 10-15. haha

I'd like to say I took a smarter route to college. I started off at a 2 year college, that was cheap. And I work full time, and go to school part time. Good news is that i'm only about $5000 in student loans vs most of my friends whom will be close to $50,000 ( if not more). Bad news is, Its been 4 years and i still have about 5 semesters to go. (2.5 years) and most of my friends will be done either this week, or by the end of next semester.

Now looking at that, I wish i would have gone to school full time, and worked part time instead. I just wish I would have put put my head down and got college done and over with. But i guess if you look 5 years from now, we will all be done with school and working in our career fields. But, i'll probably be out of debt and buying a house, where they will still most likely have $30,000 (again, if not more) to pay off in loans, and be living in a little ass apartment. lol

SO, final notes!

If you are a Jock of some sort ( and your school "loves jocks" like mine did) Then go to high school for your last two years and enjoy that life, it truly is a blast!

But if you are smart kid, who focus on grades and don't play any sports. (not this this is a bad choice), or if you a kid with bad grades, or worried about money or w.e. your story is. I would take that 2 first years of college in a heartbeat! its free, and you can be graduating college and working full time making good money, while all them jocks are struggling in the first years of college still. haha

Choice is your m8, hope this helps!! Cheers!
 
I would have paid so much money to not have my high school experience. College was 10000000000000000000000x better.
 
I would have paid so much money to not have my high school experience. College was 10000000000000000000000x better.

Don't get me wrong, College has not let me down at all!! haha! but college would not have been this much fun, if it weren't for all the friends I made in high school. I live in WI, and I have been drunk at just about every University in WI, besides Eau Claire. haha
 

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