Hopefully our story can inspire others hit by Covid or other health issues. After 2 years, we had not done any schoolwork. Thank you for encouraging me. It helped me not to give up on our son’s future. We have now charted out a plan to complete his Associate’s Degree before he turns 18 in June.
Thank you to Kristen M., Homeschooling for College Credit parent in California for sharing her story with me and allowing me to share it with you! After a serious bout with COVID derailed their homeschooling schedule and dual enrollment plans, Kristen pivoted and figured out how to find success. I hope you find her story inspiring!
My son initially earned 10 college credits his freshman year of high school by taking 2 college courses and the DSST exam Civil War and Reconstruction. We planned to take advantage of more dual enrollment, but then COVID hit us.
- College course 1, 3 credits
- College course 2, 4 credits
- Civil War and Reconstruction DSST exam, 3 credits
In June of 2020, my son contracted Covid. He turned 15 that month and should have had 3 more years of dual enrollment. Unfortunately, he was too sick. We realized it was about salvaging his transcript and making sure he met the state minimums for graduation so that his future employment and hopefully college was not hindered by this Covid setback.
After 2 years, he had not done any schoolwork, but he had started learning his dad’s trade as a contractor in the law industry (working from home). I asked him if he would be willing to try some exams to possibly make some headway toward a degree. …Anything is better than nothing, right?
Last summer, at 17 years old, he decided to take another DSST exam. He passed it easily, and that motivated him!
- World Religions DSST exam, 3 credits
He then signed up for another 8-week college course this fall that he was interested in and started reviewing for some history CLEP exams (his favorite subject).
In those 8 weeks he completed a 3-credit college course (with an A) and passed:
- College course 3, 3 credits
- Western Civilization 1 CLEP, 3 credits
- Western Civilization 2 CLEP, 3 credits
- Microeconomics CLEP, 3 credits
25 college credits and counting!
He just started the second 8-week fall term and is taking 2 more college courses and learning the material to pass the Marketing CLEP and Management CLEP while working from home with his dad.
- College course 4, 3 credits (in progress)
- College course 5, 3 credits (in progress)
- Principles of Marketing CLEP, 3 credits (in progress)
- Principles of Management CLEP, 3 credits (in progress)
He felt like Covid stole his brain but now he is seeing with some consistent work, he can make the grades and pass the exams! He bypassed the low-cost dual enrollment, and he took 2 years off of school, but he is earning his way through college and will pay cash.
