Yusuf served as a Homeschooling for College Credit intern this summer, and after accumulating 99 college credits, he has made huge progress towards his degree. Read below as he shares his experience as a teen in Texas taking college courses in high school.
Happy Story: My Dual Enrollment Journey
By Yusuf Gabr
When I first started taking dual credit classes at Lone Star College, it was a nerve-wracking experience. I did not know what to expect and had little idea of what I wanted to earn an Associate degree in. Nor could I imagine how the following three years would play out. Yet, even during that time, I had a fairly clear vision of what I wanted to be and do when I grew up. I wanted to major, one day, in environmental engineering. Ultimately, that was what helped me decide the path of my dual enrollment journey.
At the very beginning of my journey, I worked with my mother to make a preliminary plan of all the courses I would take from beginning to end. There was no doubt, as many others taking dual credit know, this plan would change innumerably many times as the semester went on for various reasons, such as switching around the order of certain courses, prerequisites, and changes in the plan. But despite all that, making a semester-by-semester schedule was incredibly useful in guiding me along the way.
Of course, developing such a schedule required determining the exact Associate degree I wanted to pursue, and it also meant being sure that these courses would transfer to my target college. Consequently, we had to choose the courses that we were sure would transfer to other Texas colleges, while also fitting my prospective Associate degree. Ultimately, checking the Texas Common Course Numbering System (TCCNS) was incredibly useful, as the site allows one to check whether specific courses will transfer across a huge number of colleges and universities across the state. After doing that, I also checked with my advisor, which was a very useful experience as it allowed me to double-check my plan and specific course transfer pathways. All this meant that I could be fairly sure that at least the majority of my college credits would transfer.
All this helped me decide on my Associate degree plan, which was ultimately to work towards an Associate degree in Civil Engineering. Choosing an associate degree in this area as opposed to a general Associate degree in Science better fit my specific needs and would effectively transfer more courses to my target college. In addition, I found that it would also establish better continuity with my prospective major in environmental engineering, as the vast majority of colleges and universities place civil and environmental engineering in the same department.
Over the many following semesters to come, I came to love and enjoy the dual enrollment classes I took, whether they were online (as was the majority of the time) or in-person. In addition, I also took classes extending over a very wide range of subjects, from US History and Calculus to Children’s Literature and Macroeconomics. By far, the most transformative semester was my very first one, where I chose high-interest classes that would stay in my memory for a long time to come. My most memorable class during that early time was Environmental Geology, where I used to keep colored, highlighted, and illustrated notes of everything I learned. That experience was revolutionary in helping me develop passion and understanding later on in my dual credit journey.
Another early course I took that helped me was EDUC 1300, which helped me develop a system of time management and updating my calendar for my dual credit courses that would help significantly in everything that would come after. All in all, over time, my passion for research, STEM, the environment, and engineering grew more and more over the time I have taken dual credit.
Currently, I am on track to earn my Associate degree in the Spring of 2027. I am hoping to apply and transfer to the University of Houston to earn a major in environmental engineering. Looking back, and after having earned 99 college credits, I can say that at the beginning, things will always seem uncertain. But by developing a clear plan, checking which courses will most likely transfer using your state’s course numbering system or related catalog, and taking things step by step, you will learn and grow a lot along the journey. That’s definitely what I have learned.
