When you read our Happy Story posts, what do all of those families have in common? They started with a small goal. It’s tempting to think that a giant goal, like earning a full associate degree before high school graduation, allows you to plan better, but the truth is, smaller goals will help you move faster.
In my experience, I have never seen a family create a 4-year degree plan in 9th or 10th grade that went exactly according to plan. Never.
Why?
Because a hundred things will get in the way:
Schedules shift. Credit policies change. Courses get dropped. Interests evolve. Parents take a job in a different state. Colleges change their requirements.
Your teen might take a college class that completely lights them up—and suddenly, they’re excited about a field you hadn’t even considered. That’s not failure. That’s growth. That growth will help fuel their success. Make no mistake, it is not enough that the parent is motivated- your teen is part of the recipe too.
By keeping your early HS4CC plan open and flexible, you actually gain an enormous advantage:
- Your student gets exposure to a variety of subjects
- You learn what they’re naturally good at
- They start to develop preferences, strengths, and long-term interests
Then, when you reach 11th or 12th grade, you can build a real target—one based on experience, not guesswork. That’s when planning becomes powerful and efficient.
Parents who lock in too early often feel pressured to stick to a plan that no longer fits. The concept of “sunk costs” is when we feel compelled to finish something (like a degree) just because we have invested too much to turn back now. That’s stressful. That’s inefficient. And often, that means redoing schedules, repeating classes, and redesigning degree plans.
Instead, I recommend planning only one year at a time. It may feel slower, but it’s actually faster in the long run because you don’t lose momentum, and you don’t waste time and you will continue to take baby steps in the right direction.
Our College Credit Progress chart will help you plan, and achieve, success in your HS4CC program!
