Running Start
Hello again!
Disclaimer: This post only applies to Washington State students (and Hawaii).
Running Start can be a very confusing thing for a high school junior who knows nothing about it. Well, lets just say this was the situation I faced about a year ago. Thankfully, high schools provide great counsellors that can straighten out most of your questions. In this post I will be covering my overall experience as a Running Start student, extremely essential tips (that I wish I had known about earlier), and two different pathways you can take.
Running Start has been one of the best decisions of my life. For anyone who is considering it, and is also planning on attending an instate university, DO IT. I say 'instate' because all colleges and universities in Washington by law have to accept the credits you receive in your local community college. If you have already taken the time to research what running start is by your own will, you will most likely do well in Running Start. I have noticed that the students who go out of their way to research online, or using other physical types of resources (such as talking to advisors or books), tend to apply these research skills in their classes.
Knowledge is power. Power to know your options, and power to choose from them.
7 Reasons Why Running Start is the Greatest:
1. You get more freedom in your study schedule.
From elementary to high school, we have all been familiarized with the obnoxious ding or buzz that signals when it is time to get hustling to class (unless of course you are homeschooled). In college, for the most part you can choose what times you want to have class. The only restrictions are if the class is not offered at a time you want. And if you have time in between classes, or you have finished all of your classes for the day (which I am often completed with by 11:30 AM), you can do whatever you like, and study wherever you want, on campus or off.
2. No one treats you differently for being younger.
No one knows if you are a Running Start student unless you tell them so. In high school I was often called a nerd, or an overachiever (which is not necessarily a bad thing) but it could get annoying. In college, being advanced in your classes is prized, and something people look up to because they themselves are trying to do their best to make something of themselves.
3. You get transferable college credit.
This is a tricky subject, because not all classes have transferable credits (but many do). This is why is it VERY important to have an idea in mind of a college or university you wish to attend after running start. On this college website, you can find something similarly named to an 'equivalency table'. This is where you can make sure the classes you take at your local community college will receive credit at your future school. Due to Running Start, I will be able to walk into UW as a Junior with all the prerequisites to my interested major completed. The downside to this is, if you do not get a good grade in the course, it will forever be on your college record. This grade will not apply to your new college's GPA, UNLESS it transfers as credit to your new college.
The biggest tip I can give you to prevent getting stuck in an unnecessarily hard class, or with a bad teacher, is to...
Tip: GO CHECK OUT http://www.ratemyprofessors.com/ !!!
This will give you ratings of most of your teachers, and reviews that are for the most part accurate. Choosing classes wisely, and making a degree plan early are the most important steps you can do in planning your Running Start path.
4. It makes you more responsible.
I have gained skills that will greatly aid me after Running Start. Such as how to be efficient in studying, how to write letters of recommendation, how to plan classes, etc.
5. You can take more classes per year.
Normally, 15 credits are taken per quarter (5 credits per class). That is three classes for fall, winter, spring, and summer (optional) quarters. I feel like I have learned more than I ever have in a year. This may be a shock for someone who is not used to putting considerate effort into their classes, but it will be very rewarding if you walk into each class with the mindset to improve yourself (not just to get a degree).
6. You can manipulate your classes around a work schedule.
This is much like reason #1, but is also important if you have to pay for college.
Tip: Make deadlines for scholarship applications on a calendar as you come across them. If there is free money, why not take advantage of it?
7. Overall, the teachers are more organized.
I need to have a plan of action everyday, and when assignments do not have set due dates, and cannot be planned, that is a big problem. Every teacher I have had in college teaches according to a syllabus they hand out at the beginning of each quarter. It says what days things are due, and what we will learn each day. This is because they have to stick to schedule, due to the shorter quarters they have to teach the material within.
Disclaimer: This post only applies to Washington State students (and Hawaii).
Running Start can be a very confusing thing for a high school junior who knows nothing about it. Well, lets just say this was the situation I faced about a year ago. Thankfully, high schools provide great counsellors that can straighten out most of your questions. In this post I will be covering my overall experience as a Running Start student, extremely essential tips (that I wish I had known about earlier), and two different pathways you can take.
Running Start has been one of the best decisions of my life. For anyone who is considering it, and is also planning on attending an instate university, DO IT. I say 'instate' because all colleges and universities in Washington by law have to accept the credits you receive in your local community college. If you have already taken the time to research what running start is by your own will, you will most likely do well in Running Start. I have noticed that the students who go out of their way to research online, or using other physical types of resources (such as talking to advisors or books), tend to apply these research skills in their classes.
Knowledge is power. Power to know your options, and power to choose from them.
7 Reasons Why Running Start is the Greatest:
1. You get more freedom in your study schedule.
From elementary to high school, we have all been familiarized with the obnoxious ding or buzz that signals when it is time to get hustling to class (unless of course you are homeschooled). In college, for the most part you can choose what times you want to have class. The only restrictions are if the class is not offered at a time you want. And if you have time in between classes, or you have finished all of your classes for the day (which I am often completed with by 11:30 AM), you can do whatever you like, and study wherever you want, on campus or off.
2. No one treats you differently for being younger.
No one knows if you are a Running Start student unless you tell them so. In high school I was often called a nerd, or an overachiever (which is not necessarily a bad thing) but it could get annoying. In college, being advanced in your classes is prized, and something people look up to because they themselves are trying to do their best to make something of themselves.
3. You get transferable college credit.
This is a tricky subject, because not all classes have transferable credits (but many do). This is why is it VERY important to have an idea in mind of a college or university you wish to attend after running start. On this college website, you can find something similarly named to an 'equivalency table'. This is where you can make sure the classes you take at your local community college will receive credit at your future school. Due to Running Start, I will be able to walk into UW as a Junior with all the prerequisites to my interested major completed. The downside to this is, if you do not get a good grade in the course, it will forever be on your college record. This grade will not apply to your new college's GPA, UNLESS it transfers as credit to your new college.
The biggest tip I can give you to prevent getting stuck in an unnecessarily hard class, or with a bad teacher, is to...
Tip: GO CHECK OUT http://www.ratemyprofessors.com/ !!!
This will give you ratings of most of your teachers, and reviews that are for the most part accurate. Choosing classes wisely, and making a degree plan early are the most important steps you can do in planning your Running Start path.
4. It makes you more responsible.
I have gained skills that will greatly aid me after Running Start. Such as how to be efficient in studying, how to write letters of recommendation, how to plan classes, etc.
5. You can take more classes per year.
Normally, 15 credits are taken per quarter (5 credits per class). That is three classes for fall, winter, spring, and summer (optional) quarters. I feel like I have learned more than I ever have in a year. This may be a shock for someone who is not used to putting considerate effort into their classes, but it will be very rewarding if you walk into each class with the mindset to improve yourself (not just to get a degree).
6. You can manipulate your classes around a work schedule.
This is much like reason #1, but is also important if you have to pay for college.
Tip: Make deadlines for scholarship applications on a calendar as you come across them. If there is free money, why not take advantage of it?
7. Overall, the teachers are more organized.
I need to have a plan of action everyday, and when assignments do not have set due dates, and cannot be planned, that is a big problem. Every teacher I have had in college teaches according to a syllabus they hand out at the beginning of each quarter. It says what days things are due, and what we will learn each day. This is because they have to stick to schedule, due to the shorter quarters they have to teach the material within.
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