Starting College Early

[James Boston]

I just read a thread where an 18 year old just finished his second year of college, and another guy started at 14. I didn't want to hijack that thread, but I find this interesting. Is this a common thing? I can see skipping a grade, or something like that, but starting college at 14 and 16?

[Subfallen]

I was homeschooled, my mom got tired of trying to keep me motivated so she sent me to college with my older sister. Based on my experience, I wouldn't recommend starting early unless the student in question is extremely gifted academically. Otherwise, the social deprivation outweighs the disadvantages of poor intellectual stimulation in highschool.

[istewart]

Here (http://www.dutchboyd.com/)

[DemonDeac]

i was 17 when i started

[lawrence]

I graduated HS at 16, I was younger than every single senior and junior. I could have gone to college at 16 but I didn't, for various reasons.

[James Boston]

[ QUOTE ]
i was 17 when i started

[/ QUOTE ]

Did you skip any grades or were you just a younger when you started school?

[The Armchair]

I started at 17, and not because of anything special (I was born in December). Socially, it wasn't the best of things, because a lot of the places in Boston my friends went to were 18+, meaning I was left home on a number of first-semester Saturday nights.

I can't imagine being sub-18 for more than a semester; college would have to be the suck for that person.

[Subfallen]

[ QUOTE ]
I can't imagine being sub-18 for more than a semester; college would have to be the suck for that person.

[/ QUOTE ]

Try 8 semesters bro. Yeah, it was pretty much the suck.

[James Boston]

I wasn't curious about starting early because you started school early, and were younger than everyone in your grade. I'm wondering home many people are skipping grades.

[mason55]

I started taking college classes when I was 15. I took the computer science classes because it got me out of regular HS classes and I had already taken all the programming classes at HS. I took some other classes when I was 16. Finished college at 20. It was great.

[James Boston]

[ QUOTE ]
Finished college at 20. It was great.

[/ QUOTE ]

Really? I just can't imagine, socially speaking, that you won't ever regret that in some way. How old are you now?

[DemonDeac]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
i was 17 when i started

[/ QUOTE ]

Did you skip any grades or were you just a younger when you started school?

[/ QUOTE ]

started early
sucks cuz i wont be 21 til senior year, but that hasnt stopped me yet, baby

[tbach24]

I'll be 19 when graduating.

[jason_t]

I started at 17.

[gumpzilla]

I don't get it. What is there to regret? I started at 16 and graduated at 20 as well, I had a fine time.

[James Boston]

Well, I can't put myself in your shoes, so I don't know that I would regret it. But knowing what I know, I would hate to think of things I did't do because I left high school early, and finished college early as well. There were just too many experiences it seems like you get deprived of. I don't know though...you tell me.

[OtisTheMarsupial]

[ QUOTE ]
I wouldn't recommend starting early unless the student in question is extremely gifted academically. Otherwise, the social deprivation outweighs the disadvantages of poor intellectual stimulation in highschool.

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree except that if the kid is a social misfit in HS, he might do better in college simply because there are more opportunities to re-define himself and/or find friends like him.

But too young, is too young. 14 is too young to start college. 16 is pushing it, IMO.

I finished HS at 16 but didn't go to college till I was 21. The real world experiences I had are invaluable.

[mason55]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Finished college at 20. It was great.

[/ QUOTE ]

Really? I just can't imagine, socially speaking, that you won't ever regret that in some way. How old are you now?

[/ QUOTE ]

My parents paid for my college. Since I busted ass and finished early they supported me for a year and I took a couple extra classes while I mostly just [censored] around. I lived in the same place with all the same people who were all still in college. I just had less homework and more time to party. About half my friends were in my year academically and half were my age, so some left while I stuck around and some were still there. I stayed until I was 22 (just over a year) so I can't see anything I would have missed.

Edit: I also didn't start full time until I was 18. Turthfully I think it was the best of all worlds.

[James Boston]

[ QUOTE ]
I finished HS at 16 but didn't go to college till I was 21.

[/ QUOTE ]

Starting college young is strange, but I find leaving high school a little more strange. Don't get me wrong, I hated going to school and was anxious to get it over with, but I still wouldn't want to have missed out on the stuff that happened during those years.

[James Boston]

Well that's a different situation. Not many people get full financial support while doing nothing so they can enjoy the college lifestyle a little longer.

[Brain]

[ QUOTE ]
I started at 17, and not because of anything special (I was born in December).

[/ QUOTE ]

Same here. Just one of the reasons it sucked being a Christmas Eve baby.

I didn't mind the social thing as Madison wasn't much of a typical college town and we did most of our silliness on campus. Somebody else just had to buy the booze until spring semester senior year. /images/graemlins/tongue.gif

[Tyler Durden]

[ QUOTE ]
i was 17 when i started

[/ QUOTE ]

[goofball]

i skipped 6th grade, started college at 17, graduated at 20. 2 years later I live in vegas and dont' have a job /images/graemlins/cool.gif

[DougOzzzz]

I started college at 20. I turned 21 a month and a half into my first semester. I was quite popular in my dorm that year...

[nothumb]

I went to Simon's Rock (http://www.simons-rock.edu), which is the only 4-year college in the US that accepts students before they leave high school to do college level work. I have an AA and a BA but never got past the 10th grade. Started college at 16 and finished at 20.

I'm very glad I did, too. I didn't really miss out on high school (I hated it) and I wasn't one of those obsessive overachievers who didn't enjoy being young. I went to a weird little school but I have always been kind of an odd dude so I don't regret that either.

I'm 22 now, I've been working full-time for two years and trying to decide what kind of graduate work I want to do. I dig the situation because when I enter grad school in Fall '06 (that's the current plan) I will be around the normal age for a grad student, but with three years of work experience under my belt and a much better idea of what I want to do for a career and how to go about it.

Saul (inchoatehand) went to Simon's Rock too, we lived together one year. He's already in grad school.

NT

[BreakfastBurrito]

It's a great idea. Nothing could go wrong. (http://archives.cnn.com/2001/US/08/30/uab.student/)

[Ogre Palowakski]

yeah...

[mason55]

[ QUOTE ]
It's a great idea. Nothing could go wrong. (http://archives.cnn.com/2001/US/08/30/uab.student/)

[/ QUOTE ]

Sample size. I'm sure there's about 8 billion things that are more dangerous.

[Sponger15SB]

nothumb I could have sworn you were like 30-35

[nothumb]

[ QUOTE ]
nothumb I could have sworn you were like 30-35

[/ QUOTE ]

I get that a lot...

NT

[Zeno]

By an accident of the Gods, I stumbled into this thread and read your post. Just want to say that I hope all goes well for you. What do you plan to study in Graduate school by the way?

-Zeno

[ltb]

I graduated high school when I was 16, started college right after I turned 17 (skipped a grade).

No problems at all, considering you only need to be 19 to get into the bars in my college town.

[nothumb]

Thanks for the kind words Zeno. Right now I'm looking at a program that offers a dual MSW / MA in Sociology, which would be a very portable degree. If I get sick of the agency I currently work for (a strong possibility) the MSW would give me the ability to be a clinician just about anywhere in the country, or even to open my own group home or supervised independent living program.

And the MA in Sociology means I can write case studies about my own work. Talk about double dipping! Also if I get tired of helping people I can just fade into academia.

I have little patience for large agencies like the one I'm currently working for, and would like to strike out on my own.

NT

[thatpfunk]

I had no interest in graduating at 22, I wish I had started colleg late /images/graemlins/tongue.gif