While the majority of high school

students are finishing off their

TAKS tests, AP exams and other

classes, a select few have already begun their

college experience through a new program

offered by some colleges. The Richland

Collegiate High School (R.C.H.S.) program

gives teenagers the opportunity to leave

their normal high school setting and attend a

college where they complete the requirements

to receive a high school diploma, while also

receiving a college associates degree. Students

can sign up at the end of their sophomore or

junior year and go through an interview and

application process. We believe even though

this opportunity could benefit certain people,

it proves unsuccessful in the mental and

emotional development of a high school student

getting ready to graduate and head for college.

Some of the high school experience is lost

when a teenager decides to transfer to a division

of R.C.H.S., where they leave their friends

from the secondary education environment to

be surrounded by college students. There is

a certain amount of maturity that teenagers

gain when in high school, and being around

teenage peers develops that maturity more than

being surrounded by older college students.

Even though students participating in the

collegiate program have a high level of maturity

and responsibility, they still lose some of their

learning experience by leaving the high school

environment. The difference of maturity

between high school and college students is a

drastic difference, and it can only be gained

by going through the high school experience.

Even though R.C.H.S. is excellent for

receiving two types of credit, there are still

disadvantages of missing out on memories

made in the corridors of a high school. Seniors

have the opportunity to go to prom with their

classmates, participate in senior events, and

most importantly walk across the stage wearing

a cap and gown to receive a diploma. When

involved in the collegiate program, students

have the opportunity to attend prom and other

events, but when a senior prom is not personal

to the student and they can’t be there with the

kids they have grown up with, the meaning and

purpose of the dance loses some of its sincerity.

Also, R.C.H.S doesn’t provide things like a

“Senior Day,” honoring the soon graduating

seniors with a special day off campus to relax.

Those participating in the program have

to be willing to take chances by dropping

everything they have known in high school.

In order to solve the issues with the program,

anyone interested in leaving high school for

a bigger environment should be aware of all

the benefits and also costs that follow. An

informational meeting on an assigned night

could provide teenagers with the chance to

learn about R.C.H.S. while also contemplating

what they will be leaving behind in high

school. In our opinion, not all students

are aware of how much they are losing by

participating in the educational organization,

so it would be beneficial if they were given

the chance to hear from the administration

of R.C.H.S. what they are getting themselves

into before actually making a final call. The

application and interview serve as ways for

the candidates to learn about the program, but

some might not take into account how many

high school memories and events they will

miss out on if they are accepted into R.C.H.S.

High school is not just about receiving the

credit needed for a diploma. It’s not just the

chance for students to hurry and get out of

high school so they can go to college to be

on their own. It’s best to cherish high school

while it lasts because college is a different

experience, presenting new challenges and

worlds of opportunities high school kids may

not be ready to face. We feel teenagers in high

school should gain the necessary maturity

before rising to the level of difficulty required

for the next task required. If a student is so

determined to graduate early in order to go to

medical school to become a doctor, law school

to become a lawyer or any other career that

requires extra graduate studies, by all means

participate in R.C.H.S. If someone just wants a

chance to get on a college campus early because

it’s cool, they should reassess their feelings

about the memories they will be missing

with their friends, peers and teammates.