<p>I don't think I would have done what she did (get an AA degree).</p>
<p>Don't get me wrong - by the end of high school I will have taken, in terms of units, about 40% of the number of units required for an AA degree. However, even if I had taken more courses to fill the other 60%, I would still not have fulfilled the requirements for an AA degree; rather, I would have chosen more courses similar to those I've taken in the past and will take in my senior year (which have all been under the categories of computers, science and math). I would have completely overlooked, for example, the English requirements.</p>
<p>I think that the experience has been rather beneficial for me. I have done a fair amount of exploration (within the limits of the things which most interest me). This exploration would have been severely limited if I had tried to fulfill the requirements of a degree program. Whether or not I would have learned more (in terms of facts) is an open question; however, I know I wouldn't have learned so much about myself.</p>
<p>There will be plenty of time, later on, to take English, Spanish and History at the college level.</p>
<p>BTW - I started taking college courses when I was 14. I don't think it's particularly uncommon.</p>