Fairfax HS Sophomore Earns College Credit as a Dual Enrolled Student at NOVA

Adan Eftekhari, an excited student at both Fairfax High School and NOVA works hard at both institutions to earn high school credits and college credits at the same time. Here is his insight into starting and excelling in NOVA’s Dual Enrollment Program, which allows students to earn college credit while still attending high school.

Please tell us a little bit about yourself and your background?
So, I am currently a freshman at Fairfax High School and am utilizing the Dual-Enrollment Program at NOVA. Since my elementary years, I have enjoyed all subjects in school and possess a love for learning. In past years, I have attended a number of advanced programs and been a part of multiple extra-curricular activities related to STEM such as ‘Science Olympiad’ and the ‘First Lego League.’ Further, I have competed in numerous academic competitions where I represented Fairfax High School on both the regional and national levels.

What brought you to NOVA?
It was my knowledge of two great programs that NOVA offers — the Dual-Enrollment Program and NOVA’s Guaranteed Admission Agreements. It is what really lured me to the school. They are great opportunities to further my long-term academic goals.

As a dual-enrollment student, I will be able to work toward my Associate degree while in high school and also graduate from high school early. This will put me on the path to finish my associate degree and enroll in a four-year university that has a Guaranteed Admission Agreement with NOVA, and help me to accomplish my long-term university goals faster.

My love and passion for learning and academic achievement only motivated me to expand my scholastic career further. I completed the majority of my high school math credits while in middle school, and I took the PSATs early, thus qualifying for the NOVA Dual-Enrollment Program as a high school freshman.

Since then, I have successfully completed 29 college credits, ranging from English, math, foreign language and elective courses, while maintaining NOVA’s Dean’s List, continuing my straight-A record and earning a total GPA of 4.5. Looking ahead to the end of this school year and this upcoming summer, I plan to continue working hard to end my freshman year with all A’s and take my first NOVA history class during the summer semester.

In the near future, I look forward to continuing my strong work ethic and academic excellence as I continue taking NOVA classes in addition to my advanced high school classes. My goal for the next 3-4 years is to end all my classes with A’s, maintaining a GPA above 4.0.

How do you feel juggling both high school and college courses at 15?
Although being a dual-enrollment student might sound simple, it requires great discipline, determination and dedication, similar to advanced placement classes.

The workload can get difficult as a dual-enrollment student, it is important for me to remember that all the studying and work that I do now will prepare me in the near future for the workload at a four-year university and graduate school.

On weeks where I’m given extremely heavy workloads in homework and studying for both high school and NOVA classes, it is not infrequent to come across days where I’m on my computer and completing assignments from 8 a.m. to midnight with little breaks. There are even days where I have to skip 1-2 meals to maximize my homework and study time. The busy routine certainly gets tiring, especially after months of studying during weekends and rushing home from soccer practice to finish writing an essay — but those situations are when discipline, determination and dedication become vital. Without the maintenance of those three traits, I am certain that I would be unsuccessful in juggling both high school and college courses.

Besides studying and learning new things that I am passionate about, in my free time, I enjoy hanging out with friends and playing soccer. In fact, I currently play for Vienna Eagles, a local, highlyranked club team. In addition, I was recently successful in my high school’s soccer team tryouts and am now the starting right-winger on the school’s Junior Varsity team.

What are your educational goals?
As I mentioned previously, I am always looking 3-4 years ahead toward the end of my high school and NOVA careers. My goals are to maintain the Dean’s List, continue my straight A record, and keep up my high GPA. I also plan to continue working hard to graduate high school as Valedictorian of my class.

After graduation, I hope to receive an Associate of Science degree with Honors from NOVA and then utilize the Guaranteed Admission Agreement with University of Virginia. This plan is not finalized, as I plan to apply to other academically reputable universities as well.

What are your career goals?
With the ongoing pandemic and global health security crisis affecting lives all across the world, I feel motivated to attend graduate school and pursue a career in the STEM field, particularly in medicine or biomedical engineering. I want to positively impact people.

How was the shift to online learning for you?
At the start of the pandemic, when quarantine protocols went into effect and schools shifted to online learning, I enjoyed the change. I could sleep in later, spend more time with my family, learn in a new environment with a different method of communication and I no longer had to commute to school every day.

I was also in middle school in early 2020 and did not a have very heavy workload when it came to homework and studying , which granted me more free time. However, this enjoyment gradually faded away over the course of the next two months. I began to miss seeing my school friends every day and visiting my grandparents’ house every weekend. I also no longer had soccer practices and games, which really upset me.

When it came to online learning, I felt as if it was becoming more and more boring and noticed the lower levels of teacher-to-student and student-to-student interaction. In addition, online school didn’t provide the fun, motivating academic challenges that it used to back during in-person learning.

This perspective changed in the summer of 2020, when I took my first NOVA courses. School started to become a challenge again, and I felt as if I was learning at the same pace as before the pandemic. And since then, I have felt the same. Not only do I enjoy the constant challenges that my dual-enrollment schedule provides, even if they come with great amounts of homework and stress, but I am also fond of the way most of my professors have responded to online learning.

Now that I am faced with new teaching obstacles, my teachers have found a way to persevere in the remote learning model, to make the learning environment similar to an in-person setting. Despite teaching behind computer screens, they have found ways to interact with their students, making the class enjoyable, while maintaining a sense of seriousness and a determination for their students to succeed. These are both extremely important factors I keep in mind when asked how my shift to online learning was.

What would you tell an incoming NOVA student?
Here are three tips I would share with an incoming NOVA student: Develop the Habit of Working Ahead. By working ahead, you do your future self a favor. Getting a head start on schoolwork not only reduces stress and anxiety, but also improves your productivity. Those who procrastinate will have multiple assignments waiting for them in the future, so by completing assignments early, you can also plan ahead for later weeks where your workload might be heavier than usual. In addition, if an emergency or unexpected event arises sometime later in the semester, you will be able to deal with it without jeopardizing your grades when you had your work done in advance.

Create an Ideal, Productive Schedule for Yourself. Schedules are important for staying on track and fulfilling all your responsibilities. For example, it is a lot easier to study for your math class every week when you set out a certain period during the week to do so. The most appealing aspect of schedules is that they are self-sustaining. It is much easier to stick to your routine, get things done and then continue moving forward with your schedule after you’ve developed the habit.

Do Not Be Shy to Ask for Help. Never be afraid to ask for help if you’re having difficulties with something. For example, if you’re having trouble with your coursework, reach out to your professor or advisor/counselor for guidance and support. Speak to the school’s Financial Aid Office if you’re having trouble paying for college. Asking for help can also get you in contact with important campus resources such as tutoring centers, websites, methods of learning and other professional assets to help you succeed in your studies. It is important that you never detach or isolate yourself when attempting to fix a problem that is too severe for you to handle on your own, as there are always people around you, especially on campus, who can help.

To learn more about NOVA’s Dual Enrollment Program, visit www.nvcc.edu/dual-enrollment, or email dualenrollment@nvcc.edu.

Submitted by:
Hoang Nguyen, NOVA PIO, HDNguyen@nvcc.edu