Nerdify Reviews 7 Reasons Why You Should Take Pre-College Summer Courses
Though many secondary education students are excited about college, it can be pretty daunting to think about what being a college student actually entails when you’re a high schooler. To help teens who will soon be applying to higher-ed better understand university life, schools more often are beginning to offer pre-college programs, which involve taking one-week introductory courses on campus. Read our Nerdify reviews experts’ reasons why you should take pre-college summer classes before applying to universities.
1. Know a Campus Much More In-Depth
Sure, universities offer campus tours, but there’s only so much one can see walking around for an hour, many Reddit users commented. Through pre-college programs, you’ll be spending an entire week on campus, being able to learn so much more about the different buildings and amenities offered on campus. Our Nerdify reviews experts note that having this experience can give you a much clearer picture of what you’ll want to look for in the campuses of prospective colleges you’ll be applying for.
2. Live In a Dorm
Pre-college classes are truly immersive, and many of them involve having prospective students stay in a college dorm for the week. Teens are usually supervised by an adult to offer help — if needed — as this is the first time some teens might have been away from home. A lot of Reddit users agree that dorm living is quite the adjustment from living at home with your parents, especially since you’ll have a roommate. As such, our Nerdify reviews experts say living in a dorm for a week is a great way to learn the sorts of amenities you’ll want to look for in the schools you’ll be applying to.
3. Take College-Level Classes
Even though most high schools offer advanced placement program (AP) classes that can count for college credits, taking a class in a secondary versus post-secondary school is still very different. For one — note our Nerdify reviews experts — most university students only spend about 15 hours in a classroom, whereas high school students are usually in class 40 hours a week. Though these week-long classes are mock courses, you would still become familiar with the hard and soft skills you’ll need to succeed in a real college environment.
4. Learn About Different Majors
Depending on a college’s pre-college programs, you might be able to take weeklong courses in various disciplines. This is a fantastic opportunity to learn about multiple studies in-depth, which can be helpful when looking at the majors a prospective school offers. You might find your dream major during your pre-college program, but even if you don’t, you’ll be able to better understand what sorts of classes you do and don’t like.
5. Understand a Community Learning Environment If You’re Homeschooled
As much as it is for public and private students to adjust to college living and academics, those that have grown up homeschooling have an even more significant gap in experience. Having learned from their house, homeschooled students will benefit significantly from studying in rooms with smaller-than-normal class sizes. Jumping into a lecture hall with hundreds of other students can be overwhelming for any freshman, so pre-college classes allow homeschoolers to ease into a community learning environment.
6. Get a Taste for College Homework
Most students’ least favorite part of school, homework, can be challenging at the high school level and can be very different from the course load in college. Depending on the type of college class, homework might be familiar, like completing a page or two of math problems. However, it could be very unfamiliar, even within the same educational discipline. Redditors say that a poetry class might only require students to read a handful of poems, while other English literature classes might require students to read hundreds of pages between classes. Pre-college courses allow students to know what to expect from college-level homework and can help them better understand which courses to pick once they’re admitted into college.
7. Receive College Admissions Help
Applying to college is overwhelming for rising seniors, with pages of paperwork to complete and thousands of words to write for essays. Pre-college programs assist students with aspects of the admissions process, whether helping fill out applications, giving advice on essays, or allowing students to meet with spokespersons from other schools. Having the experience of a pre-college class written on your college applications alone helps set you apart from other students. Even more impressive, though, is that your pre-college professors can even write letters of recommendation for you as well to help you get into the university of your dreams.
