Preparing for community college sciences courses (dual enrollment)

[Pegasus]

I would like my DDs to take the lab sciences (biology, chemistry, and physics) through dual enrollment but what do we need to do first, at home, so that they will be successful?

 

If your DC have taken science through dual enrollment, can you please tell me what they did to prepare before enrolling and how they did in the class?

 

Thank you,

Pegasus

[G5052]

If you've done rigorous science up to that point and have college classes available that are an appropriate step above that, you should be fine for a science-oriented kid. BUT if they're taking biology without a good foundation at a college that has tough courses, there may be a problem. The college close to us is heavily oriented toward the health professions, so BIO 101 and CHM 101 are tough, more like AP Biology and Chem. I know of several homeschool families whose kids either didn't pass or barely passed, and they regretting not doing high school science first. Then there was another kid who with very science-oriented parents who dove right in and graduated with her H.S. diploma and associate's in science the same day.

[djkapp]

My dd (currently a senior) has taken both semesters of honors chemistry as dual credit student this year at a state university in our town. She really didn't do anything special to prepare in advance. We had used Apologia biology, chemistry, and physics before she started the college level science. We had co-oped a lab for Apologia chemistry, but in retrospect, my dd doesn't really think it made that much difference for her.

 

The first couple of weeks of the first semester were a challenge, but she met with the professor, read ahead and went to class prepared, and ended up with A's. The course was definitely a successful challenge.

 

We did use the Teaching Co. superstar student course before she started dual credit in her junior year, and I think that built some very good study habits.

[Kareni]

My teen took different lab sciences at the local community college than you have mentioned. She took three quarters of different Geology classes as well as one quarter of Environmental Science. She had previously taken Conceptual Physical Science and Chemistry at home. She was quite well prepared and made As in all her classes.

 

You might want to see what offerings are available. Are the classes for prospective majors (in which case they may be quite challenging) or are they for non-majors (in which case they may still be rigorous but less challenging)?

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Jane in NC]

Not sure that I would recommend what my son did!

 

He studied Conceptual Physics in 9th (Hewitt)--that is easy to recommend. In 10th, he took the leap to AP Biology and, yes, it was a huge leap. He had an excellent biology background from a summer science program, having done things like electrophoresis protein analysis and gene splicing to make bacteria glow so we figured that that he would be sufficiently prepared. What threw me for a loop is that modern biology is not the course I studied in college! Modern biology is very biochemistry intensive. My son had done some chemistry via the WTM approach in 7th. In retrospect, I wonder if students today should take chemistry before biology. The counterargument to this is that the chemistry in biology is biochemistry--something that students do not see much of in a basic chemistry class. No clear resolution of the right thing to do.

 

Anyway, my son finished 10th grade with the AP Biology exam under his belt. In 11th he took General Chemistry I at the CC, a smooth transition. Second semester he took Microbiology, his AP Bio course giving him the needed prerequisite. This was more of a biotech course and he enjoyed it as it gave him the chance to work on microscopy skills.

 

He began 12th by taking General Chem II at the CC with a more demanding prof than his Chem I instructor. This course proved to be very challenging but ultimately wonderful. The prof had a Chem I class in the same lab the period beforehand, so she usually began Chem II repeating a demonstration from Chem I but going into further depth to explain things they had either seen in the previous course or had not done with a different professor. Going into the final, my son sat on the A/B fence, but pulled out an A. It was an achievement for him with many lessons learned on how to study.

 

Not everyone wants to walk into CC courses for first time exposure to something like chemistry but it can be done for the science minded. Be prepared for a lot of work though.

[Dana]

You may also want to check on prerequistes. Our cc chemistry course requires students to be ready to take college algebra before enrollment, so there may also be a math prereq.

[Jane in NC]

You may also want to check on prerequistes. Our cc chemistry course requires students to be ready to take college algebra before enrollment, so there may also be a math prereq.

 

My son was able to place out of the math prerequisite with his ACT math score. That is another consideration.

[Kareni]

You may also want to check on prerequisites.

 

This is a good point, Dana. The Geology and Environmental Science courses that my daughter took both had much lower math requirements than College Algebra. Thus these classes might be good options for the less math inclined.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Pegasus]

Thank you, everyone. You have given me a lot to think about. I was unfamiliar with Conceptual Chemistry but I've now taken a look and really like what I see. I think we'll work that in to our program at home before attempting chemistry at the community college. I'd already seen a bit of Conceptual Physics so we may use that as well.

 

I saw an excellent tip on another thread about dual enrollment that suggested going to the college bookstore and looking at the texts for the courses you are considering. I'm going to do this too, especially for biology! I took biology and advance biology in high school (many MANY years ago) but if it's changed to include significant biochemistry, than we need to know that!

 

Thanks again,

Pegasus

[Ellie]

We did no preparation at all. Both dds aced their c.c. science classes.