After taking AP Calculus at CHS last year, senior Mary Eknoian of Wall decided to take Calculus 2 at Brookdale this past fall. 

CHS upperclassmen have the option of taking weekly dual enrollment classes through Brookdale Community College in Lincroft. According to Brookdale’s website, each three-credit course costs a total of $552.45, which includes in-county tuition and a general services fee.

“I just wanted to show colleges that I was willing to challenge myself beyond what was offered at CHS because we don’t have APs,” Eknoian said.

Guidance Counselor Melanie Sambataro agreed with Eknoian that these courses are a great way to get ahead for post-secondary education since many colleges accept the credits obtained from Brookdale classes. Still, such an undertaking only makes sense for certain students. 

“If you feel comfortable with handling the extra workload with your daily routine that you have, then I think it’s a great experience,” Sambataro said. “But it can be a lot of extra work, so if you’re involved in a lot of other activities after school, it can be difficult to manage.”

Sambataro added that students can use dual enrollment to take classes in subject areas that are not offered at Communications, such as senior Jennifer McCue of Freehold. 

“I took psychology last semester and it lasted from September to December,” she said. “I’ve been looking into it as a potential minor because for me, the way people react to things would be beneficial for things like design.”

McCue had a friend from CHS taking the class as well, which she said had many benefits.

“That helped a lot because we had a lot of group projects toward the end, so we partnered up for that. We were able to work on them during school,” McCue added.

Guidance Counselor Sandra Gidos added that the process of transferring credits to various universities is generally an easy process. 

“We find that the classes at Brookdale transfer very well because you’re taking them on a college campus with a college professor,” she said. “We haven’t had too many problems with those transferring.” 

Eknoian would recommend dual enrollment classes to future students, viewing them as an interesting experience and helpful in preparing for college.

“If you have the free time and the means to pay for additional classes, it’s definitely worth it,” Eknoian said.