By Allie Nigro, Features Editor
Cryptography. Nanotechnology. Introduction to Neuroscience and Epidemiology. You may not see these classes on your FFHS registration card, but that doesn’t mean taking fascinating classes like these are out of the question.
These and so many other high school and even college-level courses are available to students because of the opportunity to triple enroll. This means that students not only take classes offered at First Flight, but also take online courses through the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics (NCSSM) and College of the Albemarle (COA).
Rising juniors have applied to NCSSM, a two-year residential high school in Durham, for many years now. Since moving and switching schools can be a life-changing decision, students now are able to take specific courses from NCSSM without having to leave home.
“I have a lot of friends here and I just really like living here. I didn’t want to throw that away until I absolutely had to,” senior Ben Tonnesen said. “It gives me the opportunity to delve into certain classes and topics that I wouldn’t have otherwise been able to learn about.”
NCSSM is a school that focuses on STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) courses and gives students the opportunity to learn more about specific STEM-related subjects.
“I want to go into the medical field in college, so I just thought that NCSSM would be a great opportunity to get classes that I was not offered here,” senior Hadley Hedges said. “I’m taking Epidemiology and Intro to Neuroscience, and I never thought I’d get to take those.”
Not only are students able to apply to NCSSM, which has a limited number of applicants who get accepted, they are also able to dual-enroll through COA. Unlike NCSSM, COA offers all college-level classes, which can be a huge advantage in the long run.
“If you get a C or better, you’re going to get transferable college credit to any of the public colleges and universities in this state,” school counselor Beth Garrett said.
Being double- or triple-enrolled allows students to interact with a wide variety of teachers and classmates. College professors at COA have different standards than high school teachers, as well as different ways of teaching. Students taking these courses will have to learn new skills and what works best for them when it comes to enjoying continued academic success.
“It kind of introduces high school students to the college environment,” Garrett said. “The idea of a syllabus, the expectations of tight deadlines, (all of it) while they’re still in high school.”
NCSSM offers greater connections with people who have similar interests. Even taking the classes online, students are interacting with peers from all over the state, and these relationships can be highly beneficial.
“These classes really prepare students to interact with different groups of people, not just the same people that you’ve known since third grade,” Garrett said.
All three schools give students something different. Whether they are only taking one college course from COA or are triple-enrolled in all three schools, having options while still in high school is important.
“Each school has something that’s different about them, so it helps my skills to be able to adapt to whatever,” Hedges said.
Junior Allie Nigro can be reached at [email protected].
