By Avery Williams

Get ready for high school freshmen to join you in your next class here at Eastfield because the rules are changing.
Texas House Bill 505, passed in the last legislative session and signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott, lowered the age of students eligible for dual credit courses and removed the limit on the number of credit hours high school students may take.
While some may be concerned with students entering the “college atmosphere” as young as 14, the academic advantages far outweigh the concerns.
One of the main concerns about allowing students so young to take college courses, specifically on campus, is the risk of them being exposed to adult situations and subjects.
For example, the use of profanity is common and can be observed throughout the entire campus, even within many classrooms.
Many think that young students should not be exposed to these negative influences.
These concerns, however, should belong solely to the parents of the students. They are the ones who decide what their children should be exposed to, being the people who best know what their children can handle.
Once high school students have proven their academic maturity and college readiness through the TSI, SAT or similar tests, they should have the opportunity to advance their studies and further prepare themselves for four-year universities, regardless of the social situation.
There is no better preparation for the transition to a university than being set in a competitive classroom and treated as an adult.
When an academically mature student is placed in a room of people much older than them and is set with the same adult-level expectations, they are forced to adapt.
The earlier that they are presented with these standards, the better it prepares them for similar treatment at a four-year university and reduces the shock when they transfer.
Students should not be denied the ability to take their education to the next level, no matter their age.
Being able to do so creates the most diligent and competitive of students — students who thrive in a university setting and work to attain the highest achievements.
If those types of students are encouraged and given the opportunity to strive for the best education possible, they will blossom and in turn be an inspiration to other students.