Running start is a program for high school juniors and seniors that allows them to take college courses while still being in high school. Some student opt for full-time running start, this means they take all their classes at a community college, but are still technically in high school, even though they don’t have any classes at GP. This allows some people to graduate high school with both a high school diploma and an associate’s degree at the same time. “I had the opportunity to get my AA, practically for free. High school at times would be very overwhelming for me, so having a chance to be on my own but also having some of the high school experience was very beneficial,” Estefania Guerrero said.

This option is good for students who are looking to get ahead and get their college pre-requisites out of the way. However, you do typically miss some of the fun in-school activities such as pep assemblies and in-school events. To some, that may not matter but for others it’s a big part of getting that “high school experience.” “Personally, I don’t mind missing events like those, they are fun so I get why people wouldn’t want to miss them but it wasn’t a big deal for me to miss some of them. I still get to play sports and go to the other out of school events,” Lauren Hufford said. 

College classes are much different than a typical high school class too. While you do get to make your own schedule and pick what times you want your classes or have them all online, there is a difference in teaching style from college professors and high school teachers. “It took some getting used to. In college classes they start teaching on the very first day and don’t do any of the getting to know you stuff,” Hufford said. College professors don’t often remind you about work or bug you about turning something in, it sounds good in theory, but if you are a student who can’t hold yourself accountable, it is easy to put things off. 

A big part of why so many students do running start is to save money. With growing college prices, tuition, housing, transportation, etc, running start is a big help for those who need it financially. The school pays for your tuition and all you have to pay for is a class fee (typically 20-30 $) and even that fee can get waived depending on the situation.    

If you are still wanting to take college classes but don’t think running start is the right fit, there are still many options. College in the high school is classes here at GP that you can get college credit for by simply signing up online. These courses are more advanced but still give an extra boost if you are planning on going into college and want to get some credits out of the way. Overall, it can be a great opportunity but it does have its challenges. “I really loved running start, I got to take classes that I genuinely was interested in and would look forward to,” Guerrero said.