PSEO, if you don’t know already, stands for Post Secondary Enrollment Options. Basically, you are able to take college classes while being a junior or senior in high school and simultaneously earn college credit. Sounds awesome, right?! Well, for the most part. I am going to tell you about my experience with taking college classes in high school, and then maybe you can get an idea if enrolling in PSEO is the right choice for you.
Before I started thinking about PSEO, I remember hearing stories of people graduating high school with 60 college credits, and I thought “Wow, only smart people can do that!” and “How do they have the time for that?”
I looked into it more and decided to give it a shot. I am not super book smart. I hate to read, listening to a lecture makes me fall asleep, and taking notes does nothing for my brain. What I am smart at, though, is time management and teaching myself in a way that I can learn, and that’s really all it takes. I can proudly say that I graduated from high school with an Associates Degree from a community college in my hometown. This took A LOT of time and dedication. My main motivation was that some people didn’t believe that I was actually going to do it, and now here I am, proving them wrong. If you think this is something that you would like to do, or if you are interested in earning as many college credits as you can, keep reading. Even if you’re not interested at all, keep reading. This might change your mind.
PSEO Pros:
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You save thousands of dollars. While taking college credit in high school, the state of Minnesota will pay every dime, even your books. My expenses here at Winona State for this year without scholarships and financial aid is $20,000. By doing PSEO and getting a two-year degree, I saved nearly $40,000 that I would’ve spent going to a university without any credits. That’s about the same price as the all-new 2019 Audi A4!
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Your GPA boosts. In high school, college credit is based on a 5.0 scale. Every college class you take will boost your high school GPA (typically on a 4.0 scale). That’s why I have had a GPA of 4.2 some semesters. Crazy right? If you are looking to have a higher GPA to get into college, take college credit. A lot of them count as high school credits as well. For example, I didn’t need to take high school chemistry because I took it at the college; I got double the credit, plus a higher GPA.
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It’s something to fall back on. Let’s say a family member gets sick while you are at college. You might be forced to drop out and move back home. With no degree, how are you supposed to find a job? A lot of job applications will ask about your educational experience. Most of the time there are options like GED, Associates Degree, Some College, Bachelor’s Degree, etc. At the very least, you are able to click on “Some College,” and they will probably consider you over someone with just a GED.
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It’s a killer accomplishment. I haven’t met too many people who have come in with an Associates Degree as a freshman—maybe 5. I cannot tell you how many times people have said “What! That’s so cool” or “Holy cow that’s crazy!” Yes, I do like to brag about it because it’s truly something I am proud of and I’m not going to hide it. Coming in with any college credit is a great accomplishment. It’s hard trying to juggle sports, school, family, friends, and a job. If you decide to go this route and succeed, give yourself a pat on the back. You deserve it.
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You’ll be done with college earlier. If you just can’t wait to start working as a teacher, nurse, or whatever you want to be, take college credit in high school. You are hitting two birds with one stone. While you are about to graduate from high school, you are already starting your college journey and will likely be able to graduate earlier than a lot of your peers.
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You don’t have to spend seven hours at the high school. Unless you are doing CIS (College in the Schools) or AP (Advanced Placement) classes taught by your teachers at your high school, you will most likely be taking classes at a college nearby or online. This means you get to leave early or sleep in depending on your schedule. You won’t have to deal with high school drama, eat gross lunchroom meals, or be punished for skipping class. A lot of the time, I would just work during the times I didn’t have class so I was able to get more hours in. That’s another plus.
I know, I know. What’s the catch? This is all sounding so great! Trust me, there are some downsides.
PSEO Cons:
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You miss out on events and creating friendships. My senior year, I only took one class at my high school and the rest were PSEO. I was there from 9:50-10:45AM and I wasn’t able to make more friendships without going out of my way because I never saw anyone. I missed out on pep rallies, fights, and special announcements while I was away at class or work.
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You need to know what you want to do for the rest of your life NOW. Since you could be ahead of everyone else, you won’t have the first two years of college to figure out what you want to do for the rest of your life. I was accepted into the College of Business my first semester here. Usually, you do that after two years; but by coming in with so many credits, I am already a junior. Make sure you know what you want to do because I guarantee things will change. I’ve changed my major and minor once already and I don’t have any more room for another change unless I want to restart my college career.
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You will not meet a lot of freshmen. The one thing I really don’t like about coming in with a lot of credits is that in all of my classes there are people who have been here for 2+ years. They already know how everything works, and they’ve already made connections. I am not around people in the same boat as me—the ones still figuring out this whole being away from home thing. Regardless of doing PSEO, I advise everyone to live in the dorms your first year so you are able to make those connections.
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You’ll be done with college earlier. Yes, this is a pro and a con depending on who you are. I am actually sad that I will be leaving college in a year and a half. I love living this life around all these great people.
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Your credits will follow you throughout your college career. As a senior in high school, it’s very easy to give up. You might stop studying for tests and putting effort into homework. If you are taking PSEO classes, you cannot have this mentality. If you do poorly, that GPA and grade will follow you to whatever college you choose to go to. This might make it harder to get into the program that you want.
Whether you choose to do, PSEO is completely up to you and how you want to shape your life. If I could go back in time, I would probably do it all over again. I like where my life is right now and every decision I made prior to this moment led me here. Thank you for reading. I really hope this helped you make a decision or helped you start thinking about your next steps towards the rest of your life.
Xoxo, Bailey.