Are NECCo classes really a good idea? NECCo (Northern Essex Community College) partnered with Pentucket to provide an opportunity for high school students that allows them to take accelerated classes at the campus. Many students are uninformed about this college program that is offered at Pentucket.

There are several advantages to taking NECCo classes instead of or along with courses offered at Pentucket. First and foremost, they are college classes, which look very attractive to colleges that you plan on going to after high school. Though NECCo classes are only weighed at honors classes at Pentucket, many colleges will count each NECCo class as an AP, which will significantly boost your GPA.

NECCo classes are also ideal if you need time in your schedule for additional classes. These courses are held outside of school, so you will have a free period for every NECCo class you take.

Perhaps the best thing about these classes is that each is only ONE SEMESTER long! You will only meet one night a week, too, which makes managing your homework easier. 

However, if you want to enroll in these classes, you must also weigh the cons. If you are committed to sports or other extracurricular activities, you need to know that these weekly classes may interfere.

Many athletes need to sacrifice practice and game time, especially if they have an away game/meet the night of your class. Mr. Seymour says that coaches are not allowed to penalize their players because school should be their first priority, but coaches can be bias when it comes down to giving out playing time.

Also, not all colleges will accept the credits you earn at NECCo. It is important to talk with administrators at colleges you are thinking about to see if the courses are even worth pursuing.

So if you passed the placement test, you should strongly consider taking a NECCo class if you think it would be a good fit for you!