Waking up, eating breakfast, going to the first class of the day, just a normal high school day. Then the bell rings and students go to their next class, but not all. A couple students run out to their cars, navigating their way out of the parking lot and to Macomb Community College. The students arrive and run from their cars to some complicated class like Bio 1000 or English 1220. 

 The early college program is a program that allows students to take both high school and college classes. It is meant to be a 3 year program, so a student would start as a junior and 2 years would be dual enrollment and that last year would be as a full time college student. 

   While students can technically withdraw from the last year, it is not recommended. That last year allows students to graduate with an associate’s degree. If a student was to leave before this, they would not get the benefit of an associate’s degree.

“After that 13th year, you have a full associate’s degree that you can then transfer to a university and it is all paid for,” a counselor at FHS, Mrs. Kalpin said. 

   But of course, there are always exceptions. Lanie, a student in the early college program, expressed that she would not be participating in the last year of the program.

   “I received a fantastic offer from my school of choice already,” Lanie said. “The field that I am going into does not have many classes that transfer from Macomb, so it is more beneficial for me time-wise to transfer sooner rather than later”

   Now as far as why students decide to follow this path, there’s not much to it. For one, it saves money, the school pays for all 3 years of the program. It also acts as a fast-track so students can get rid of some of their basic credits before transferring to a university. 

   “You’re going to be a year ahead of your peers and you’re going to be able to enter the workforce and earn money a year earlier than your peers,” Mrs. Kalpin said. 

 Along with this, college offers opportunities that high school might not have, such as job shadowing. 

   “At Macomb, I can actually spend a day in the field I wish to pursue to decide if it’s a good fit,” Lanie said.

   An important thing to note is that students don’t necessarily have to be an “all A’s student.” The best people for this program are those with good time management and most likely the ability to drive. Students are expected to provide their own transportation to and from Macomb.. 

“Many students like that flexibility of being able to go from high school to college and have time in between,” Mrs. Kalpin said.

   This program allows students to have time that they otherwise wouldn’t have if they were only taking classes at the high school. 

   “This program has allowed the transition from high school to college to be incredibly comfortable, and the academic advisors are incredibly kind and care for you as a person, not just a student,” Lanie said. 

Any other information can be found on the early college Macomb website- http://ecmacomb.org/ or students can talk to their counselor.