BSM offers a multitude of classes including various honors and Advance Placement (AP) courses to its students, but some still go beyond the regular curriculum and further their education by choosing Post Secondary Enrollment Options, or PSEO. These programs are available to seniors and juniors who wish to involve themselves with more challenging subjects at colleges within the state.

PSEO classes are chosen with much consideration. Students who take these classes must still sign up for a full course load, which consists of six classes, and four of those classes must be taken at BSM. However, PSEO classes that are worth two or more college credits are only worth one credit at BSM, and the courses that equate to one credit is equivalent to half a credit at BSM. Additionally, the letter grade earned in the class will be factored into a student’s GPA. “It was really stressful at the start because my grade was only made up of the quizzes, midterm, and final. Plus, I had to balance BSM school work and speech,” said senior Erin Choi.

Choi took Multivariable Calculus, also known as Calculus 3, during first semester and currently pursues Linear Algebra and Differential Equations classes at the University of Minnesota. “When I first started as a freshman in Honors Pre-Calculus, they said that there weren’t [any] classes for my senior year. I wanted to take other classes as well, but my schedule didn’t work out. I didn’t have any other classes I could take here,” said Choi.

PSEO classes can be taken during or after the school day, and creating extra time to complete these courses becomes especially crucial as the workload from both BSM and college-level classrooms can often be overwhelming. “My classes were [from] 6 to 8 p.m. on Monday and Wednesday for the first semester. Now I’m there Tuesday and Thursday [from] 6 to 8 p.m.,” said Choi.

Claudia Freese, a senior, also has been taking PSEO courses for two years at the Normandale Community College including Introduction to Sociology, Social Psychology, and General Psychology. Leaving BSM each day around one o’clock, Freese attended her classes two out of three days. “It’s different taking college classes. They are taught in a really different way. You have to be more independent, and you have to discipline yourself,” said Freese.

PSEO classes can be a great way to involve yourself in unique fields beyond BSM’s level of study. While Freese and senior Zander Edelman, who participated in an Art History course at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, took classes in order to explore further into their personal interests, Choi was able to advance her studies in math after passing out of the advanced math classes BSM offers. “I just wanted to learn more about the sociology field, and Benilde doesn’t really offer those classes,” said Freese.

Some might wonder whether they can take classes online at colleges through BSM’s program, but the BSM policy requires that all PSEO classes be taken on the college campus. However, this does not deter most students who believe that the on-campus aspect is a benefit to taking these demanding classes. “I wanted to get out of school early, so I took PSEO so I could be let loose at like sixth hour,” said Freese.

In contrast, however, students such as sophomore Maddie Etienne have a hard time believing that leaving school early provides convenience, especially when traveling to the campus could be a potential issue for people who cannot drive or have a car. “I think it could be a hassle getting there, and balancing that with extracurriculars would be difficult,” said Etienne.

But given the opportunity, PSEO classes are a great way to get a feel for college courses. “I would say do it, 100 percent. Take something that you find really interesting, something that you feel really passionate about because this is a really unique opportunity,” said Freese.