When you’ve got four years in which to meet the degree requirements and for a major that you’ve chosen, you’ve got specific required courses that you must have, then upper level ones that must come later, but only as prerequisites are completed earlier — and then with courses that happen only once a year “in sequence” (like Fall, Winter, Spring) — and you have certain electives that may only come once a year and maybe only two quarters out of that year — then you’ve really got a “scheduling problem” ... :-)
If you’re not careful, you’ll end up with 12 credit hours one quarter and then 24 credit hours in another quarter, which would be a “killer” schedule for that quarter, if you could even do it.
BUT, for those who just “saunter along” — and don’t really care if they get so many courses, and only take one or two courses here and there... it doesn’t matter too much. But, from my experience, most of the people who are going to university level classes — are getting their degrees and they’re trying to get it all done in the required four-year time span.
That may be the difference that some people “may not get” here ... :-) Some people (from what I read) are simply getting a few classes here and a few classes there, and that’s no big deal ...
I’m talking about “seriously” going to university and getting a four-year degree.
I’m talking about “seriously” going to university and getting a four-year degree.
You're looking at it from the point of view of the type of university student who lives in a dorm. :-) That type of student either borrows money to pay for college, or his parents pay the bill, or both. For those students, college is a social experience: There are parties and frat houses and sororities and lots of socializing for them.
But, there are other students who earn their degrees without living at college. One might argue that we were more serious about it. I didn't socialize at CC or the university, even when I was attending full-time classes in the day. No one I knew who commuted to school did. Completing two years at a CC and transferring the credit to a university was what many of us did. Many people earn their degrees that way.
I know what it's like scheduling classes. As I said, I went full-time for two years. Later, when transferring the credit to a university, I attended full-time there at first. Scheduling classes is even more important when you're commuting. I didn't have the luxury of walking back to a dorm room. I would have to hang around if I didn't schedule efficiently. I had to juggle not only the class schedule but a work schedule, too. I stopped taking courses just one semester short of my degree, but many working people who attend part-time do earn their degrees.
Not every university experience is the same. For example, Drexel offers a popular co-op program: the university places students into jobs related to their majors part of the year. It takes five years for a full-time student to earn a degree through that program, and they are serious students.
Now, back to the subject at hand: The reasons why homeschooled students start taking dual-credit courses when they're young is: (1) They will have an official record of the courses they completed during high school age, and (2) they can start building college credit early.
So, a 13yo girl might start in one course the first semester, and then two courses the next, and so on, until she can handle a full courseload. She has time on her hands, so she can take her time. She can take night classes where there is a mixture of ages, including older, working adults and other teenaged students. There are no dorms at a CC; everyone is commuting. A parent can hang around on campus, while she's in class. As I said, it is typical for homeschooled teens where I live to take dual-credit courses at CC. Some school students do it, too.