As I mentioned in my A Homeschool Year Unlike Any Other article, after careful consideration, we determined that dual enrollment was the best option for Mister this year. There were very few classes that he was interested in that he could take at home or at the local homeschool enrichment center. The classes that were going to be offered at our homeschool co-op were classes that he’d either already completed, classes he had no interest in, or classes that were of no benefit to him. So, we scheduled an interview at the college for dual enrollment. Here’s a look at our 11th grade plans for 2024-2025.
11th Grade Plans for 2024-2025
During our interview at the community college, we learned that his GPA and ACT score qualified him to enroll in their scholars program. The scholars program would allow him to take up to twenty credits per semester for his junior year (most high school juniors are limited to nine at this particular college). This would allow him to complete all or nearly all of his Core 42 classes, or general education requirements, during his junior and senior years. If he chooses to, he can pursue an associate’s degree while completing his junior and senior years.
Admission into the dual enrollment program at this community college does come along with the following set of “considerations for parents…”
- Your student is considered a college student even though they are still in high school.
- College students have more freedom than they experience in high school.
- College courses include complex work and require a great deal of responsibility to manage.
- Students must be self-motivated and self-disciplined.
- College courses can be more stressful than high school classes.
- Dual-enrolled students are considered adults regardless of their age.
- Your student will follow the course syllabus in regard to assignments, exams, and deadlines. Unless specified, requests for additional assignments, extra credit, and extended deadlines will be not considered. The student may contact the faculty member for possible exceptions. Exceptions are not guaranteed.
We did have to meet with the Disability Support Services staff due to his hearing impairment, and they’ve been wonderful about establishing accommodations for his classes. This semester, his classrooms are small enough that he hasn’t *needed* the accommodations, but they are in place “just in case.”
As this is his first semester of dual enrollment, and because he was retaking the ACT over the summer to improve his math score, we chose to start with ten credit hours to see how he adjusts to the rigor of college life. Once we see how he adjusts, we can increase his credit limit.
His classes this semester are a mixture of online and in person classes. Two classes meet in person the entire semester. One class meets in person for the first half of the semester, then switches to remote. The final class is online only.
Dual Enrollment Classes
His first-semester dual enrollment dual credit classes include:
English Composition 101 (3 credits)
College-level writing course required for all other college-level writing classes. Emphasizes essay structure, ways of organizing information, and use of sources. Basic research skills and critical thinking skills as integral part of course. Missouri Higher Education Core Curriculum Transfer (CORE 42)
American Government (3 credits)
Basic concepts of political science with major emphasis on origin, principles, organization, and nature of American federal system and its politics. POL 101 complies with provisions of Section 170.011 RsMo. Missouri Higher Education Core Curriculum Transfer (CORE 42)
College Success Seminar (1 credit)
A required course for degree-seeking students covering various aspects of college life including resources and procedures, interacting with instructors, instructor expectations, critical thinking, goal setting and commitment, learning styles, development of network and support groups, value of education and philosophy of learning, identification of student interests and needs, technology used in college classes and study skills. This class is on campus for the first half of the semester, then online for the second half of the semester.
Introduction to Information Technology (3 credits)
Introduction to computer systems with topics that include system components, data storage techniques, binary arithmetic, operating systems, device characteristics and programming. This class is completely online.
Classes with Friends
One of the things that we did do was manage to schedule one of his classes with two friends and one of his other classes with one friend. His English Comp class is with two friends from co-op. One he has known since he was four years old, and the other he’s been friends with for the last four years. His American Government class is with one of the friends that is in the English Comp class. We thought it would make his first semester on campus a little less intimidating.
Future Plans
One of Mister’s goals is to become a pilot. He completed the entire free Sporty’s Learn to Fly Course online last year. He also went to AirVenture last year. With that in mind, this summer he applied to the Aviation Summer Academy at St. Louis University, which is a six-day, five-night residential camp for rising juniors and seniors that are interested in the field of aviation. He was one of five juniors (among 22 students total) that was accepted into this years camp. He was able to plan his first flight, fly a Diamond to Sparta, Illinois and back, and he thoroughly enjoyed camp.
After that, he spent another week in OshKosh volunteering at AirVenture surrounded by thousands of planes, which was his ultimate summer vacation.
Yesterday we started the process to get his First Class Aviation Medical Exam so that he can pursue flight training. For Mister, it will take a little bit of legwork to get his First Class medical. To be a commercial pilot, his vision has to be 20/20 corrected, and he passed his vision test which is great. The rest of his medical exam was “deferred” to the FAA, which basically means it was “kicked up the ladder” because of his medical history. In a few weeks, we’ll get a letter from the FAA telling us what documentation they need from us, and we’ll submit it. This is why we started all of the leg work now. The doctor that saw us did say that he personally didn’t see any reason that Mister would not get approved, it just wasn’t his place to approve it because of the complex history. So, we wait.
Next Semester
If the Lord wills it, the First Class Medical will have been approved so we can add some flight training to the plans. Mister will also likely take Psychology (3 credits), an arts class of some sort (3 credits), either Trig (5 credits) or Calculus (6 credits), and possibly the final English 102 class (3 credits). He has to figure out if he wants to take summer courses or not, and if not, how loaded (on classes) he wants to be. As for the Trig vs Calculus class question. He tested into Calculus, but we have to find out if the Calculus class will transfer to his school of choice, since it’s not a Core 42 class. Trig is Core 42, so all 5 credits transfer. Calculus is not Core 42, so only 3 credits transfer if his school of choice doesn’t accept it. Decisions, decisions.
Coaching
One of the things I’ve committed to is regular coaching sessions with Mister. These started off as very loose conversations about what he wanted to accomplish. Most recently, we actually sat down together and I asked him what he wanted to be coached on, then walked him through a specific set of questions to help him come up with a set of goals/tasks that he could tackle. I’m merely asked the questions. He then some goals and deadlines for himself, and how he wanted to accountable for them.
A few of the goals that he’s set recently have included:
- starting the AME process for his first-class medical (✔)
- setting up his bank account (scheduled)
- maintaining a specific grade range so that he can get a job at the end of the semester (in progress)
- updating his resume in preparation for job hunting (in progress)
I’m sure this will have to be fluid, because I’m Mom and he’s a teenage guy. There will be times when he rolls his eyes and tells me he’s got nothing. There will be times when I throw up my hands and tell him to pull his head out of the sand. But together, eventually, we’ll find a rhythm that works for us.
Next Summer
We hope that Mister will be eligible for a scholarship that would enable him to complete some of his flight training toward his private pilot license over the 2025 summer. Achieving that would go a long way toward reducing the cost of his college fees for him once he actually enters his four year program to become a pilot, as will his dual enrollment credits that he earns as a junior and senior.
This kiddo of mine is blazing his own trail… right across the sky!
