WHAT ARE COLLEGE PREP CLASSES AND COURSES? –EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW

College prep (or preparatory) classes and courses are programs that enable high school students to feel college life before actual college enrolment. Such classes and courses may, in other words, be regarded as avenues intended to arm high school students with the necessary skills for surviving college life.

A college education is a form of advanced education that appears much more complex than what is learnt in high school. Perceptibly, the overriding idea behind college prep classes is that for high school students to transition easily to college, there’s the need to first walk them through programs that simulate college education.

In plain reality, a college isn’t a mere educational establishment but an advanced academic institution where students need to imbibe essential traits –such as good study habits, self-discipline and time management –in order to achieve remarkable academic success.

When high school students are faced with uncertainty about what college life seems like or whether they can cope with its associated demands, it becomes handy for such students to enrol in college prep classes. Through such classes, they will be exposed to the intricacies of a college education.

For parents who want their college-bound (high school) children to excel in college, enrolling such children in college prep classes will likely seem necessary. Moreover, a student with a good grade such as a B+ or higher in their college prep course will have a strong likelihood of college admission.

This post covers a whole lot of information about college prep classes and courses, especially with an emphasis on the advantages of these classes/courses and the differences between college prep classes and honours classes.

Advantages of College Prep Classes and Courses

For one reason or the other, you may not be convinced that college prep classes are worth taking. To however drive you to the conviction that college prep classes and courses are worth enrolling in, we’ll discuss some of the advantages that come with taking these classes and courses.

Paving the way for more academic opportunities

College prep classes and courses expose students to more academic opportunities by elevating their academic growth and academic exploration. Students enrolled in college prep classes and courses have the privilege of exploring more academic opportunities. As a plus, the curriculum of such classes and courses is duly implemented in order to expand students’ academic exposure.

Allowing for a more personalized teaching approach

For students taking college prep classes and courses, the teaching approach is more personalized in the sense that each student can better interact with the teacher due to a small student-to-class ratio.

This personalized teaching approach fosters student-teacher relationships and in the long run, students taking college prep classes and courses tend to have a higher likelihood of academic success. Generally, a one-to-one teaching approach has always proven effective for focusing extensively on each student and trying to bring out their academic potential.

Through the relatively small class sizes of college prep classes, it becomes very convenient for the teacher to pay adequate attention to each student.

Giving a view of what college life seems like

Even without being enrolled in a college yet, you can have a feel of what college life seems like. Such a feeling will not only excite you but also prepare you for college life.

College prep classes and courses adopt college coursework and to further prepare you for college education, they offer easy access to counselling. With this, there’s no denying that students enrolled in college prep classes and courses are likely to transition to a college education more easily than high-school counterparts not enrolled in such classes and courses.

In terms of easy transition to college education, more than 70% of students who took college prep classes perform better than high-school counterparts without any experience in college prep classes or programs.

Encouraging students to be disciplined and independent

College prep classes and courses are not only designed to aid students’ easy transition to a college education but also, they’re intended to help students imbibe the traits of independence and discipline.

Through college prep classes and courses, students learn to be in charge of their academic endeavours and work out the learning methods or study patterns that fit them best. Frankly, this is one great way such classes and courses instil independence in students preparing for college education.

Students taking college prep classes and courses come under a learning situation that stimulates them to discipline themselves regarding study patterns, study time, etc. Ultimately, the students develop the levels of discipline, dedication and self-organization that they need for survival in college.

Distinguishing between College Prep Classes and Honors Classes

Before delving into the differences between college prep classes and honours classes, it is essential to look into what honours classes are.

Honours classes are advanced courses considered more complex than normal high school courses. In a broader definition, they are a broad range of high school courses or classes that qualify students for wider academic recognition. The recognition attained, in this regard, may open the door for scholarships. It also boosts the students’ entry chances into college.

Although they will have to be recommended by a qualified teacher, any high school student can register for honours classes. The latter is simply the case irrespective of the misconception by many people that honours classes are specifically simulated for high-grade students or high school students with exceptional IQ. If you’re a high school student who’s keen to enrol in honours classes, all you need is to get a qualified teacher in your school to write a letter recommending you for such.

Honours classes or courses are usually considered “challenging” and this is probably one of the reasons for the high chance of college admission for students reported to have excelled in such courses. For instance, a student with a good grade –such as a B+ or higher –can leverage this grade for a successful college application. The fact that a student has excelled in honours courses could convince the college that the student is intellectually qualified for college admission.

Before deeming you fit for admission, a college will want to ascertain your level of intellectual capability. With your college application detailing that you aced your honours courses, you’ll likely earn yourself an edge over fellow applicants who didn’t take honours classes or alternative programs. This is particularly true under the circumstance that you’re applying for a college program with limited admission slots.

Acing your honours course/class

There’s no need to emphasize that an honours course makes your college application more appealing. Bearing this in mind, you’ll want to excel in your honours course. To help you out, here are the clever tips you need:

• Identifying the best way to manage your time
• Ascertaining the suitable learning or study pattern for your kind of student
• Being skilled in the aspect of self-organization
• Imbibing the habit of studying ahead
• Being independent –by simply growing the courage to take charge of your academic life and make smart decisions by yourself
• Imbibing academic morals such as avoidance of plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty

Advisably, your ultimate goal should be to excel in your honours course rather than merely complete the course. This is because a student with an A in a regular class/course stands a higher chance of college admission than another with a pass in an honours course.

Differences between college prep classes and honours classes

• Honours classes maintain a faster pace, compared to that college prep classes, in terms of helping students develop the required skills for transition to college. Honours classes are distinguished for the ability to infuse into students, the progressive thinking capacity and the intellectual mindset for problem evaluation
• The directing or handling of an honours class can be placed in the hands of the teacher but in the case of a college prep course, a specific organization is usually responsible for such handling. Similarly, in the case of a college prep class or course, the organization handles tests and projects aimed at evaluating the students’ intellectual capacity. However, it is the teacher that assumes the responsibility of organizing projects or setting tests for students taking an honours class. Notably, the teacher may be supported by a host of selected scholars in the field of study

Now that you have an idea of what distinguishes a college prep class from an honours class, odds are that you’ll make the right decision as to which of the two classes is better for your college preparation. Although the majority of high-school students may prefer an AP class or college prep class to an honours class, you could be convinced, for one reason or the other, that the honours class is the more suitable option for you.

Commonly Asked Questions about College Prep Classes

Can college prep classes and courses earn me college credits?

Unlike an AP class which can earn you college credits, a college prep class is not designed to offer you college credits at all.

Is it compulsory for every college-bound student to enrol in a college prep class?

A college prep class or course may not be termed mandatory for a college-bound student but of course, it is a vital program that can arm any college-bound student with the skills necessary for college survival. AP classes and honours courses/classes are some of the programs that college-bound students may want to take in place of college prep classes.

Which is more complex between the regular high school class and a college prep class?

Without mincing words, a college prep class is glaringly more difficult than your normal high school class.

Does a college prep class grant me an edge over college applicants without it?

Yes and this is probably one of the reasons why you may want to consider enrolling in a college prep class. Particularly if you’re able to attain a B+ or higher grade from your college prep class, you’ll stand a higher chance of college admission than fellow applicants.

Conclusion

Anyone who craves college success will not want to downplay the essence of college prep classes and courses. With the focal point of helping students smoothly transition to college, a college prep class is definitely an important consideration for college-bound students.