First Time Dual Enrolled at 4 Year University

[Reefgazer]

DD is planning to enroll at a local 4 year university in the spring for one class to get her feet wet in college courses.  She wants to start with anthropology, but the only time that fits into our schedule in a 3 hour class once per week with an instructor that is rated as excellent and very engaging.  Have any of your children started off with a 3 hour, once per week class?  I'm thinking this might be a bad idea, but DD thinks she'll be fine.  What does the hive say?

Edited November 8, 2017 by reefgazer

[katilac]

I'd say no. The length of the class is rough, and once a week is rough. 

 

There are so many other things she can take, and she will have plenty of time to take the anthro course later. Classes that meet 2 or 3 times a week also give you much more time to get comfortable on campus.

[Bootsie]

It would not be my first choice.  If there is one week that she is ill, that is then missing a significant amount of class.  Also, if a holiday falls on the day of the week during the semester, that puts two weeks between classes.  I find that is disruptive to the flow of the class for many students.  

[teachermom2834]

I would also vote "no". My kids haven't done the 3 hour class yet and I only did it a couple times in college. It is a tough format and would only do it if there really was not another choice. In fact, I steer mine away from the TR classes initially because of the length. Both of mine have gone with the 50 minute classes the first semester and it is still the preference for math or classes that are boring or difficult.

 

There are times when a once per week class makes sense but I wouldn't start out that way.

 

FYI- my teens always say they will be "fine". With everything! Lol.

[regentrude]

A three hour class would not be my first choice, but whether I consider it feasible depends on the subject. I can see this working for anthropology, but I would absolutely not permit it for math.

If your DD has a high interest in the subject and a good attention span, and the instructor gets good ratings, I would let her try. 

 

My kids did not start out with a three hour class, but they were also younger (DD was 13).

[madteaparty]

My DS could do it, and frankly with our schedule a 3 hr class versus being in campus every night for 4 days like his first class would be preferable, but it's not the three hours that gives me pause it's the subject matter (and we both â¤ï¸anthropology). I'd pick, for a first class, a subject your child has some familiarity with.

Edited November 7, 2017 by madteaparty

[FriedClams]

I wouldn't do it, but I think you're wise to consider the professor. The wrong professor can make a HUGE difference.

[Clemsondana]

I used to teach a once/week biology class at a community college. One thing to check is whether they are really a full 3 hours. Mine was listed as 2 hrs 50 min, but we were told that it was supposed to be the equivalent of the 50 min 3x/week class, so the time included a long break. My particular student population was mostly older students who had families, so they usually opted to go straight through without a break or with a 5 min bathroom break. Since we didn't lose time to the transitions of getting settled, we were sometimes done in 2 hrs 15 minutes. It's still a long class, but there's a big difference between 2 hrs 15 minutes and 3 hrs. I'd also see what the class structure is. My class had a test or quiz almost every week, for example, so they weren't listening to lecture the whole time. Some classes have group discussion, for example, which is easier to pay attention to.

And, I agree that the content matters. Chemistry and calculus classes that met T/Th in college were brutal, but I was fine with biochem and biology classes because I was a lot more interested in the material.

[Corraleno]

I wouldn't do it with a math or science course, but for an easy class like Intro Anthro (I'm assuming it's Intro), with an engaging professor, I wouldn't have a problem with a 3 hr class. There will either be significant breaks or they will get out early; no one is going to be sitting in a chair for 3 hrs straight.  In fact, I think DS's dream schedule would be to have one 3-hr class every day M-F, because he has always done better working in large chunks of time per subject, vs doing a little bit every day in every subject. If your DD can work well that way, I'd let her give it a try, especially since she's only taking one class that semester.

[Bootsie]

Two additional things I would consider:

 

what time of day is the class?  how does this mesh with your child's attention span and time for peak performance?  Many of these types of classes are late afternoon or evening; that works well for some students, but for others they are already exhausted before starting a marathon class.

 

what will it mean for grading?  Sometimes a night class means fewer grading components (a professor has to give up an entire week of class to give a major exam).  Or, if there are quizzes and smaller assignments it is often the case that you have Quiz 1 one Monday and have Quiz 2 the following Monday, just as you are getting Quiz 1 back.  So, students do not get feedback before the next graded assignment.  

[catz]

My kid started dual enroll this year with 1 hybrid class that is a 2 hour in person lecture and then online and one solely online class.  It has been no problem at all.  If your kid is self motivated and wants to do it, I would allow it.