These are credits that are relevant to your career and college goals, and thus they are more transferable or can count towards your selected degree program after high school. Finding out which credits are transferable into your degree program can be a challenging task. We encourage all students to seek out resources to understand credit utility and transferability. These resources are available at the college you plan to attend and/or through your high school counseling center.
Example:
Alonso seeks to pursue nursing in the state of Oregon. He has an opportunity to earn up to 50 college credits before he leaves high school. How should Alonso select the credit he signs up for throughout his high school career?
Alonso should:
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Talk to his high school counselor/teacher to understand what credit is available and how it fits with the first-year of a nursing program.
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Find what courses are required for a first-year nursing program. Work with college or high school officials to help map the curriculum.
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Perform well! Alonso should know that his dual credit has become part of his official transcript. Since nursing is often a competitive admission process, Alonso should work to academically succeed in his dual credit class.
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Think twice about more than a few courses in Italian Literature or Woodshop. Those courses will be very rewarding, but Alonso might do just as well if he took them for high school credit only. Alonso avoids paying for credits he might not use, for college credit, since those subjects don’t fit well into the nursing curriculum.
Want to learn more? Credits with a Purpose