If your child is 16 and getting ready to dual enroll or 18 and finished with your high school program, he will need to plan out his college classes. When my kids were in dual enrollment I looked at the classes like a buffet. A little of this, a little of that, then see what they like. I knew some of the requirements back then, but was unconcerned about the other classes figuring they were free (except for books). We could have saved money down the road had I really thought about it! I know many kids just don't know what they want to major in at that age. Or they know, and then change their minds. My daughter, from the time she was 16 until college graduation, changed her expected major three times! The second time was while she was in London on a study abroad program with FSU.
Some of my dual enrollment students knew what they wanted and seemed pretty set on reaching that goal. I designed many programs for students who wanted to get into a "pre-med" style program. However, most of my students did not know what they wanted AT ALL! That's ok, my son changed his mind twice as well. He thought about maybe Psychology and then had a general business major planned. After he took his ECO2023 class (Fundamentals of Microeconomics) he knew what he wanted! By this time he had been in college for two years through dual enrollment.
Here's How to Start Planning: (Florida specific, assuming the student will attend a state university)
1. What are his interests? If he hates math, well, he probably won't be in Engineering.
2. Will he go to the community college for two years? Will he take some dual enrollment classes and then bring those to a university? Will he go to a state university?
3. Pick General Education Classes - These are the required classes that every student needs to get a degree in that school. Choose the classes that most of the state schools will accept as General Education.
4. Start backwards when choosing a major and courses. What? Yes, start backwards. If he wants to go to medical school, start there. Which majors do they usually like to see? Which specific classes? Take those! In the undergraduate major they want to see, which classes can your student take at the community college? Take those!
5. If your student wants to go on to get a graduate degree, say a master's degree in Economics, find out what the school would LIKE him to have before applying for the master's program. Ask me how I know this! My son will take a year off to take those pasky classes he didn't know were sort of required, although it never states this in the college catalog, to get into the master's program. Sigh.
These are some basic ideas when choosing college classes. Students at my school can expect to have as much (or as little) advising as they would need on an e-mail or telephone basis. Also, high school students and their parents can have up to four one-hour advising sessions with me per year to help them plan out high school and college classes! Don't fall into the "buffet" trap with dual enrollment classes! Look at these classes as $$$$! If your student takes a class he does not need, here in Florida at Valencia Community College, right NOW, that three-credit course would be like throwing away $262.08! Here, lets take 10 $20 bills, a $50 bill and toss in a $10 bill, a couple singles and some change! There ya go! Toss it in the trash! Well, I hate to say how much I "tossed away" with both of my kids in college classes! Sure it is free, but your student needs 120 credit hours to get a B.A. or B.S. degree at the state university here in Florida. Why waste your money with unnecessary classes?
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