I'll make an assumption that you're from the USA. Obviously I can't speak authoritatively on every school in the US, but based on everything I've heard, even 1st year college courses (let alone high school ones, which seem to be pretty rare in the US unless you live in Hawai'i) generally move very slowly, some not even completing the basic kana syllabaries until well after the first semester. If you're motivated enough and have the time, I'd imagine you could cover 1st year studies in a matter of months.
In regards to JapanesePod101, although it's been awhile since I've been a regular listener, I seem to remember that season 1 of the beginner series introduces a lot of material, especially towards the end. I'll fathom a guess that if you're comfortable with the material there and are also able to read kana, you're probably past what most students learn in their first year. Just a guess, though.
Incidentally:
watashi wa ganbatte imasu. minasan mo ganbatte kudasai.
Hai, gambarimasu!
High time to finish what I've started. || Anki vocabulary drive: 5,000/10k. Restart coming soon. || Dig my
Road to Katakana tutorial on the App store.
Ive been learning japanese using this website. I have listened too all of absolute beginner so far (its ongoing at this point in time)
