Warrior Word

by Alina Sharkaway, Jasmine Abouelsaad, and Isabella Gregory

Many sophomores are faced with the tough decision of choosing between IB and Running Start, so it’s important to know which one is the best option for you. This can be a very daunting choice, especially considering how much it impacts your future. To help make this decision easier for all rising juniors, we interviewed two students, one enrolled in full-time Running Start and one in the full IB program. These interviews will help give you a broader perspective on the different pathways offered at EWHS and help you make the best decision for your future.

First, we interviewed a student currently doing full-time running start, Alina Sharkawy. She is a junior here at Edmonds Woodway High School, and is currently doing the Biology DTA program at Edmonds College. We asked her a variety of questions about her experience doing Running Start, her thoughts on the program, and why she chose it. Below, you can find the exact questions we asked her, along with her insightful responses.

Q: “Tell us a little bit about the Running Start program.”

A: “Running Start is a program that allows you to get college credit while still in high school, and at the same time fulfill your high school graduation requirements. It’s a great option for students who want to finish their junior and senior year high school credits, while at the same time getting early credits for college.”

Q: “How is Running Start different from IB?”

A: “While doing Running Start, you have more opportunities for extracurricular activities, like internships and volunteering. But with IB, you’re only focused on school work, and you usually don’t have enough time to do other stuff besides school work.”

Q: “Why did you choose Running Start over IB?” 

A: “I chose Running Start over IB because I wanted to finish 2 years of my 4 year pre-med degree before going to a university as a junior. That way I’m saving two years of tuition and two years of college. For example, I personally want to be a gynecologist, so that means I’ll be able to finish my bachelor’s in biology and an MD (doctor of medicine degree) 6 years after high school. But even if you are not majoring in medicine, Running Start can still be very helpful for you. For example, if you plan on majoring in something like computer science and business, you can also benefit from Running Start, as it still allows you to complete your prerequisites for free while still in high school.”

Q: “What has been the hardest adjustment so far?”

A: “Understanding the whole process of Running Start took a while. The key to Running Start is making sure you get the most out of it, and also making sure you’re using your tuition benefits to the max. For example, you can sign up for summer classes, which would still be covered by the Running Start tuition, and help save you even more time. The classes go by quarters, so you can get the credits faster as well. Another thing is time management because you are going to be taking care of yourself. You are on your own and in control of all of your classwork and classes.”

Q: “What do you like most about being in Running Start?”

A: “I really like the time flexibility, getting to feel more independent, and the fact that there’s a lot more freedom. I get to take classes that are specific to what I want to do and major in, whereas if I was still taking all of my classes at the high school, I’d have to take science, math, history, English year round.”

Q: “Why would u recommend running start to students your age, making this decision?”

A: “I would recommend Running Start to students my age making this decision right now because it saves you time and money, and is especially helpful if you are planning on going to college after high school. Running Start is also very flexible, and it is very easy to maintain a social life while still keeping up with all your classes.”

Q: “How does the workload compare to regular high school classes?”

A: “The workload is definitely not easier because you have to cram all of the material that you took in one semester or even a year, depending on the class, into just one quarter, which is 10 weeks long. However, if you have good time management, you will be able to get through a class pretty easily, the same way you would with a challenging or higher level class at the high school.”

Q: “How do you manage your time between college classes and high school requirements?” 

A: “With Running Start, you have a variety of options. You could choose to take a lot of classes at the college and no classes at the high school, or you could take half your classes at the college, and half of them at the high school. With both partial and full-time Running Start there’s a lot of flexibility. When you get to choose your college classes you have to look at the times you are available and don’t have any classes at the high school, and then you can pick your college classes, which are either online or in person. The counselors here at the high school can help you switch your high school classes to better fit your Running Start classes.”

Q: “Which classes have been the most challenging for you?”

A: “Right now, history because you have to read a lot. English is also challenging because you have lots of essays and assignments during the week. Math and chemistry are definitely way more challenging than a math or chemistry class you would  take at the high school, because you have to cram a lot more in-depth material and assignments in such a short amount of time, and also because it’s going toward your degree.”

Q: “Are college professors different from high school teachers? If so, how?”

A: “At the college, you can choose what teacher you want while signing up for classes by searching up different professors teaching a certain class on Rate My Professor. Tying back to having time management and being independent, the teachers at the college aren’t going to tell you as much as the high school teachers will when doing your assignments and work. They will tell you about the work, but they definitely expect you to just do your work without having to be reminded much. If you can’t manage independently, then Running Start might not be the best option for you, especially if you need more teacher support and help to get things done. However, Running Start does help prepare you very well for going to university because you already have a better idea of what actual college classes and college is like.”

(End of Interview)

Next, we interviewed a current full IB student, Hasset Kassa. Hasset is a junior here at Edmonds Woodway High School, and she is enrolled in the full IB program offered. We asked her questions about her experience, thoughts, what type of student she would recommend the program to, and more. Below you will find the exact questions we asked Hasset, along with her thoughtful responses.

Q: “Tell us a little bit about IB”

A: “IB is a great program if you want to go out of state. The classes aren’t that bad, it’s just the additional stuff like TOK (theory of knowledge), Extended Essay, CAS Hours, IA’s, and the IO for English and a chosen language.” 

Q: “How is IB different from Running Start?

A: “With Running Start and IB, the benefits of Running Start hinges on how hard you are willing to work. It can be a lot harder than IB if you’re intentional with your classes because they have a wider selection of classes you can take. If you know for sure what you want to do and major in, then running start is probably the better option for you. Depending on you and what you want to do, you can reap the full benefits of both. You definitely get less teacher support in Running Start. On average Running Start and IB save you the same amount of time in college, depending on how much effort you put in, and what classes you take. With IB, how much you get out of it is dependent entirely on how you do on your exam. In Running Start, you can choose how many classes you have and what time, so you can take more classes in running start. It’s quarterly, not semester with Running Start.”
Q: “What is the difference between full and partial IB?”

A: “Full IB is taking the full IB diploma, so you have to do all of the additional stuff like TOK (theory of knowledge), Extended Essay, IA’s, IO, CAS hours, etc. Partial IB means you don’t need to do any of those. Partial is taking at least one IB class, or a few, without the additional stuff. You can take all IB classes but then not take the corresponding exam and be considered partial.”

Q: “What has been the hardest adjustment so far?”

A: “Classes are easy but the tests are hard. I think chem has been one of the hardest along with Calc 3. There isn’t that much workload, but you definitely need to learn the content. It’s mainly up to you to learn all the content; teachers don’t put as much pressure on you now to do so.”

Q: “What do you like most about being in IB?”

A: “The support I receive from not just teachers but also the IB coordinators. They always set up meetings throughout the year to check in.”

Q: “What surprised you about IB?”

A: “How easy the classes are. The classes are not difficult, it’s just the extra stuff like TOK, CAS hours, IA’s, etc that I feel are more difficult.”

Q: “What kind of student would you recommend to take IB?”

A: “Someone who does well in their classes and knows they would handle the workload, but also knows that they would benefit from the extra support and help. If you want to go out of state as well and are super ambitious.”

Q: “How does the workload compare to regular high school classes?”

A: “The extra requirements for your full IB diploma are what make it difficult, but the classes themselves aren’t that much different from honors classes. Honors classes prepare you really well for IB classes.”

Q: “Which classes have been the most challenging for you so far?”

A: “English because there’s a lot of writing and it’s time consuming. Biology has also been challenging because the processes are really complex and they go really in depth. It’s not as surface level as freshman year biology.”

Q: “Are your IB teachers a lot different from regular teachers you had in previous school years? If so, how?”

A: “I think they’re a lot nicer because they understand the struggle and what students are going through. They also push you to do your best because they know your capabilities, and they’ll do everything to get you where you want to be. They are so down to help you. They’re so encouraging and they really support you and offer so many resources.”

(End of interview)

Choosing between IB and Running Start really depends on what you want your future to look like, as well as the kind of student you are. If you are planning on heading to college and don’t want to be paying thousands for tuition, or if you are interested in pursuing a career that requires more school, then Running Start is a great option for you to save that time and money. But if, on the other hand, you are looking for high-level university prep, and want that tight schedule with all the extra hard work that will pay off in an Ivy League, then IB is the path for you. So whether you choose IB or Running Start, both are great head starts in your career pathway, and it largely depends on what you are planning on doing with your future. So for now, try to decide which environment will help you succeed more, and what type of education you are looking for.