Starting April 9th, MRHS students were able to begin signing up for Howard Community College classes for the fall 2024 semester. Students are looking to sign up for a variety of classes to meet graduation requirements and even as elective classes. Mr. Gitterman and other counselors have been playing a large role in helping students get the necessary documents ready for students to apply and enroll at HCC.
Currently, the spring 2024 semester is still ongoing. As many students take finals for their current HCC classes, they begin to plan for their fall classes. HCC can be a wonderful way for students to get college credits while also adjusting themselves to the pace of college classes that they will have to face in the future.
“HCC is a good challenge for those who need it and it’s a really good way to prepare yourself for college and get some of the courses you need for college out of the way,” explained junior Madison Gaither.
HCC helps many students take the initiative when it comes to planning their future. Students are able to gain high school credits and college credits they take at HCC when they are enrolled as JumpStart students. Classes at HCC are also a great opportunity for students to gain access to a wider range of courses available to them.
“It’s a much cheaper option to take college classes and still gives you college credit. Along with that, it’s really close and it’s a really good school overall,” Gaither detailed.
A variety of classes are available at HCC. The Howard County Public School System covers costs for students taking approved Jumpstart courses during the school year. Free of cost, many students use this to their advantage to fulfill graduation requirements, such as AP English classes, at HCC and use their free periods to work, take release time or make room for other electives.
“The classes are pretty simple. I take the asynchronous classes, so it’s nice to be able to work at my own pace,” commented junior Sanika Zarkar.
This year, Zarkar took the AP Modern World History and AP English 11 equivalent at HCC. Both of these classes are graduation requirements, so she was able to earn high school credits and college credits by taking these classes. Eventually, when she graduates, like other students, she will be able to transfer the college credit she’s earned so far to the college she attends. Classes are often either in person or asynchronous, with most students preferring the latter of the two structures. Many students agree that this structure is the least time consuming and is easy to navigate.
From AP Statistics to College Composition classes, students can pick and choose what classes interest them or are required for graduation. Students are already signing up for classes in the fall 2024 semester, which is the beginning of the next school year. They are meeting with counselors, college and career readiness advisor Mr. Gitterman and scheduling release periods for next year accordingly. There are many paths that students can choose when approaching Jumpstart courses at HCC and how to integrate them into their school lives, and students are always encouraged to keep exploring these options and using them to their advantage.
