Students settle into bed at night, getting some much needed rest for the next school day; however, there are some juniors and seniors who stay up late typing away at essays, scribbling down notes for a reading or finishing up their calculus problems. These students have a much heavier workload than some of their classmates because they have decided to participate in dual enrollment and are taking various AP classes. Although taking college classes can cause students to have many late nights filled with assignments, these multiple classes and programs offer students a variety of college credits and opportunities.

“I’ve got a lot of kids that are taking AP classes and doing dual enrollment,” school counselor Leslie Cummings said. “It gets challenging ‘cause kids have to plan for it. Kids have to look at when the college class is offered and pick a time that won’t conflict with the school day.”

According to the College Board, the organization that prepares and administers standardized tests for college admission and placement, students who take an AP class and score a three or higher on the exam have higher retention and higher graduation rates compared to non-AP students. In addition, the College Board also reports that students who participate in dual enrollment have a higher likelihood of enrolling in a four-year university and have a smaller decline in grades from high school to college.

Advancing in this way exposes students to new and interesting people and places. Senior Poppy Cox attended Washtenaw Community College as a junior and took a business law class. This year Cox is thinking of taking a photography class as to not add too much to her already heavy workload.

“I love dual enrollment,” Cox said. “I just like getting in a different atmosphere of people and being able to be myself around different people. I would only recommend it to students who have previous experience with hard classes, and they have to be good at time management and organization because without that, it’s impossible. It’s barely possible for me.”

Although participating in college level classes is a challenge, students seem to do it with a specific purpose in mind.

“You want to maximize your opportunities to try and get a head start on college,” Cummings said. “Both can help you get some of those core classes done that you need to, regardless of what you decide to major in or where you decide to go.”