Current sophomores, and juniors, if you are looking to expand your education past the high school diploma, then Running Start is an option for you.  This program is offered to upperclassmen as a cheap way to get a head start on college.

For the past two years, Andrew Do and some of our fellow classmates have not been present during the day.  Instead, they have been furthering their education at a local community college. This program allows students with high GPA’s to attend a community college instead of high school for their junior and senior years, making it possible to graduate high school with your Associates Degree at the same time as your high school diploma. They are basically living the college life as high school students. With all that freedom, comes lots of responsibility.

Like anything, this program has pros and cons to it.  Some pros are getting ahead in your degree. You get to live the college life in the sense that you get to choose your own schedule and study the courses of your choice. Some cons are that you’re not seeing your friends every day and missing out on the high school experience.

Being in a new environment, you’re challenged with new relationships and situations.  At this stage there will be all sorts of people, including students close to your age up to adults coming back to further their education. “Running start is getting a free college education in high-school. I am currently taking Calculus, English, and Global Studies online, so I am only on campus two times a week. I decided to do Running Start because I knew I wanted to study Mechanical Engineering which would require a Master’s Degree so I thought I’d get a head start while I can. I’m glad I did it because I will be graduating high school with my high school diploma and my AA.  The only thing I really missed was the every day experiences and the social life of high school. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to further their education for a cheap price, and the people who aren’t too attached.”

Sophomores and juniors think about what you want to do for college over summer and consider enrolling in Running Start.