The Early College program is an excellent opportunity being offered by CCPS in collaboration with the College of Southern Maryland (CSM) that allows students to participate in college full-time. CSM’s official website explains how Juniors and Seniors can “get the full experience of being a CSM student taking college classes full-time,” and will “attend class at the Prince Frederick Campus Monday through Thursday, from 8:30 a.m. to 1:45 p.m., in CSM’s fully equipped classroom spaces and labs.” There are a slew of benefits from the program, including earning 25 college credits, getting a free one or two years at community college (other than transportation), and being able to experience a full college campus.
Kaelynn McWhirter, a Senior currently enrolled in the program, noted how “The Early College experience is actually very nice. The support that they offer us here is incredible… all staff on campus has been very friendly and I’ve never had issues…” She explained how the program forced her to “work a lot on her procrastination habits,” as she “used to be awful with turning things in on time.” Many college professors don’t accept late work, which was the case for Kaelynn. As a whole, “tests and essays are a lot more important,” given that they are worth a larger portion of the grade. For anyone looking to experience Early College for themselves, applications can be found on the CSM website. – Boris Nusinzon
