Many students take their time to sign up for Dual Credit summer classes for Lone Star College to get more college credit fast. Students who take Dual Credit classes, whether in the summer or over the school year, can meet their College-Essentials Plan by the time they graduate school. It doesn’t matter which year into high school you are, you are able to still enroll in a Dual Credit summer class given you meet the requirements.

Classes provided are mainly taught from Lone Star College, in some cases Texas Tech, through online courses ranging from Spanish, Statistics, English, Government, Environmental Science and much more. Students that take Dual Credit summer classes have the option of taking either the first semester or second semester which is comprised of a college class semester crammed into a six-week period.

Although there were around a hundred students that planned to take Dual Credit summer classes over the summer of 2023, only about seventy were able to meet the qualifications to take the classes. Requirements to take Dual Credit classes, in general, can be determined by meeting eligibility through PSAT, SAT, ACT, or TSI scores.

“Even if there are many opportunities that await students who take and complete Dual Credit classes, not all students can meet the qualifications to take the classes and it’s up to the students to consider whether it’s in their best interest,”Karen Kruger, the lead counselor of PHS, said. “It depends on the student if they have the time to complete the work given to them and if they plan to go to college after high school.”

The general review of Porter High School’s seniors who took Dual Credit classes suggests that the classes can be a lot of work.

“I’m not going to lie, it was a lot of work. I had to do at least 8 to like 12 hours a week, but I enjoyed my summer still, “Connor West said

Many seniors and other students have taken multiple Dual Credit classes over the summer, with some that have taken their fair share since freshman year. Having a classmate or friend taking the class with you can also be very reassuring, as I, myself, had a few friends who took the same classes with me this summer.

A few others can have some trouble with keeping up with their work, especially given harder classes like Texas Government and Environmental Science which senior Matilde Ventura took in one semester.

“I was given enough work. I had an assignment due every day, but with the right time management, they were really easy,” Ventura said.

Advised by both Mrs. Kruger and the experienced class of 2024, everyone suggests that students who plan to take Dual Credit summer classes should first know themselves and if they have the time. A few questions that students can ask themself before signing up for Dual Credit classes (in general) could be:

• Do I meet the requirements to take the class(es)?
• Will I have the time to complete this class?
• Do I plan to go to college after high school?
• How difficult is it for me to get down to work?
• Do I procrastinate?
• Have I taken an AP/DC class before?
• Can I meet deadlines and do schoolwork online?

Kruger cautions ALL students before they take a Dual Credit class to take courses with purpose and not at random. If you don’t do well in the classes, it goes onto the beginning of your college transcript, which is why it is important to be confident in your decision.

If you are interested in taking any Dual Credit classes, whether over next summer or next school semester, you can contact Mrs. Kruger through [email protected].