Over the course of my high school career, I’ve taken twelve dual enrollment classes through Seminole State College. Throughout these grueling semesters filled with late nights and grinding out extra credit, I’ve gained opinions on a variety of subjects. For some, I’ve developed a strong interest and enjoyment in the academic area, while others have taught me to avoid the subject at all costs in my future endeavors.
When I was in my second semester of sophomore year, I began my dual-credit journey. With a youthful light in my eyes, I naively decided to take Speech Communications, a two-word class that should instead be reflected in another two words: Stay Away. That may be a little harsh, but I strongly, strongly advise against taking a speech class online. My Chromebook precariously rested upon the dresser, angled awkwardly to feature my whole body in the frame. Frustrated, I took video after video of myself delivering the same speech until I got it just right. In the end, it opened up opportunities for me to take more English-based classes since it served as a prerequisite to many, but I would not wish the uncomfortable online course upon my worst enemy. If I were tier-ranking, this would definitely be on the E-level, second to bottom.
After a horrendous first experience, I eagerly signed up for English 1101 for the Summer 2022 term, excited for a subject in which I knew I’d do well. Get ready to write! Little did I know, English 1101 is also known as English Composition, so I was in for an unwelcome surprise when my easy summer class turned into fourteen weeks of essays upon essays upon essays upon essays. Regardless, I had a wonderful professor, someone with whom I’m still close, and learned more in that course than any others. After writing too many papers to count, I entered 11th grade and reached a record score of 11 on my WriteScore assessment in the fall. The hard work was immensely rewarding, and I became a better writer because of the amazing lessons I learned. Therefore, English 1101 was an A-tier class, second from the top.
In the fall of 2022, I took Introduction to Philosophy, also known as “Think Hard and Be Guaranteed an A.” Somehow, I still find myself recalling random facts about philosophers that I learned from that time, although I do not remember doing a lot of work. I think it was only a quiz a week and a few thought experiments here and there. If you’re looking for an easy A and a ton of Latin terms, this is the class for you! I’d rank this as an A-tier class.
Okay, I must admit, I got a little confident with myself after an easy fall semester and decided to up my dual enrollment amount to two classes in the spring. On top of seven high school classes. And a yearbook to make. And a play. And a job. Good thing I knew all about the inner workings of stress and fatigue, because I happened to be in General Psychology, which I now refer to as The Worst Fake Science Class of All Time. The only reason I did not place Speech Communications on the bottom of the tier was because I was saving the D-level for this earthly hell. If you enjoy the scientific method, tangible data, variables, and observable results, take a real science class! After sixteen weeks of learning about why some people (cough, cough, Freud) are attracted to their mothers, the only question I was left with was, “Who asked?” Why does my dream about falling off a cliff have to signify my inner manifestation about the looming trials and tribulations of adulthood approaching? Why can’t it just mean that I rolled over and fell off the bed? Anyway, I could ramble on and on.
As for my second college class of the Spring 2023 term, I gave Mrs. Downer a heart attack and signed up for Introduction to Terrorism, which is really concerning when paired with Psychology, I now realize. In the least disturbing way possible, this was FUN. It was so beyond interesting to learn about the Department of Homeland Security and the history of terrorist attacks. It’s not something that is typically covered in your basic history class, so I feel much more knowledgeable about the world because of this course. I’d rank this a B-tier class, and I almost decided to go into a criminal justice career because of it. Also, it was extremely easy (I think I ended with 100%).
It’s summertime! Because of my fantastic experience with Introduction to Terrorism, I signed up for a class found in the depths of the Seminole State Course Catalog by the name of Drugs, Alcohol, and Crime. I just so happened to be watching Breaking Bad at the time, so I became the annoying person to explain every little strategy the D.E.A. was using and the science behind methamphetamine (I did an entire PowerPoint presentation on it). However, the class got a little boring when we started learning about border patrol and what each individual drug does to your body. This was a C-tier class; it was very mediocre.
Continuing my tradition of taking an English course during the summer, I finished the sequence by taking English 1102, my favorite class to this day. Since English 1101 is composition-focused, its counterpart is all about literature. I am a massive bookworm, so this class was the most fun and enlightening experience I have ever had with Seminole State. We read and analyzed poems, short stories, and plays, and even though the essays were plentiful, I enjoyed delving deeper into the symbolism and significance behind the classic works. Additionally, I had my professor from the first English class again, and she was equally outstanding. English 1102 was definitely my best class, so I’m putting it at S-tier.
Entering into my senior year, I chose to step it up a notch. Because I had very few high school classes, I was able to take three dual-credit classes during the fall semester. Since I knew an extra math credit would look really nice on my college applications, I enrolled in College Algebra. If you hate math, stay away. If you like math, stay away because you won’t after this. I have a lot of mixed feelings about this class, because on one hand, it’s the most I’ve ever learned in such a short amount of time, and I filled all the gaps in my lacking knowledge and now feel prepared for higher level math classes. However, the class has an extremely strict test-taking system, and the stress you will gain will increase your cortisol levels so much that you’ll probably die a decade sooner. I have never studied more. I have never cried more. I have never hated the letters X and Y more. Fortunately, I had the most wonderful professor, and despite my doubts, I ended the semester with a grade of 104.62%. Also, I made myself a shirt that reads “I Survived College Algebra.” This was probably C-tier, right in the middle.
Next, I took Introduction to Sociology. Oh, boy. Hearing “sociology” doesn’t induce thoughts of endless writing, but here we are. Our discussion posts were thousands of words long, and doing that every week got incredibly draining. Additionally, the professor’s grading was unpredictable, and it was very difficult to know what she wanted. Once a week, we had to take a 10-question quiz with an 8-minute time limit. All in all, this class was a very strange experience that I would not recommend to anyone, but at least the material was entertaining. I’d rank this at the D-tier.
Finally, my third class of the semester was 18th and 19th Century Humanities, random but very enjoyable. With only one discussion post every week and some textbook reading, I’d award this course the Easiest Class Possible. The professor was basically nonexistent, but not in a bad way. After I was done stressing over math and sociology, then I did the work from here. To be honest, I sort of forgot I was enrolled in this class half the time. This is definitely a B-tier course.
Last semester of dual enrollment! As I closed out my senior year, I wanted a relaxing but still interesting workload. Currently, I’m taking U.S. History to 1865 and World Cinema. United States History is immensely fascinating, and I thoroughly enjoy learning about all the wars and Founding Fathers. Also, I must admit that I’m reentering my Hamilton the Musical phase, so now I have an excuse to rewatch it a bunch of times if it is for “studying.” The work can be tedious, but it’s not too bad. This would be an A-tier class, too.
Last but not least: World Cinema. I signed up for this because my professor from 18th and 19th Century Humanities teaches it, and I was aiming for another easy A. Additionally, I just wanted to get graded for watching movies. Every week, we watch another random black-and-white film from the 40s and I write about my thoughts on the hidden art of whatever, and then I’m done! Highly recommend! I’d rank this also B-tier.
