<p>To each his own. But just how enriching was this as an over-all college experience?</p>
<p>Headline:</p>
<p>"18-year-old finishes life in 16 years!"</p>
<p>Well, according to an article about him in the UVa student newspaper <a href="http://www.cavalierdaily.com/CVArticle_print.asp?ID=27010&pid1443%5B/url%5D">http://www.cavalierdaily.com/CVArticle_print.asp?ID=27010&pid1443</a> his motivation was partly financial and partly to shut up his parents, who used to accuse him of not working hard enough.</p>
<p>The first reason is commendable. The second reason is sad.</p>
<p>He seems quite sad, actually.</p>
<p>The zillions of AP courses in HS, coupled with parents pressuring the kid to work even harder, reminds me of "AP Frank" in The Overachievers. It seems like even for kids who do amazing things, it wasn't enough in their parents' eyes. Luckily "AP Frank" broke away from the parental pressure a bit when he got to Harvard. But the whole AP and parental thing with this kid in the news reminds me of the boy in the book.</p>
<p>I also want to mention that this boy is an extreme case, but I don't think overall we can expect all kids to have a normal trajectory when it comes to education. Some kids are very gifted and some don't follow a typical course. This boy's case is more over the top. While I admit to laughing at weenie's quip about an 18 year old finishing life in 16 years, by the same token, not nearly nearly as extreme as the boy in this article by far, I do have a kid who went to college early (but is staying four years!), as does Marite and other people. I have had people say, "aren't you proud that she went to college at 16?" and I think, I'm not proud that she accomplished going to college at 16 because that was never my hope or goal. She pushed us to let her. I understand why this was the right path for her. I'm not any prouder of her going early than I'd be if she went at age 18. I'm proud of her but not for this reason. But I have had to adjust to the kid that I have. While I may think going to college at 18 is the right way, I understand why my D chose her path and why it is the best path for her. </p>
<p>The boy in the article sounds like there were external pressures, unfortunately. His path is one extreme. However, I totally would understand if such a learner were not on the more typical path. </p>
<p>I don't think college in one year is a good idea. I think he missed out on a lot. But I also recognize that there are so many types of learners and various paths and accomodations fit who they are.</p>
<p>so now what...work? grad school?</p>
<p>His path would not have been possible for either my SS. S1 attended a LAC that gave no Advanced Standing and only allowed 2 APs to be used to get out of gen ed requirements. S2 attends a school that allows Advanced Standing, but exempts AS students from only one out of 7 core requirements, plus has 14 required courses for math majors. Joint math/physics majors have more. </p>
<p>I know someone who was homeschooled and was ready for college at 13. He waited until he was 15 to attend Chicago and graduated in one year. Fifty years later, he regrets not having spent more time as a college student.</p>
<p>I agree that this extreme case meant losing out on the college experience. </p>
<p>Overall, just saying that many don't follow the typical path because each kids' needs are quite different. </p>
<p>I found it sad about the external pressures from his family, and as I said, that part reminded me of AP Frank in Robbins' book. I think if this kid had won a Nobel Prize at 18, it would not have been "enough" in the parents' eyes. Marite, you gotta read that book because the case with the boy dubbed "AP Frank" was extreme in many ways that I found disturbing. It seems like this boy in the article had similar pressures and also a TON of APs in HS. AP Frank was named that as he had taken more APs than anyone in the history of Whitman High.</p>
<p>Acceleration is one thing and many kids NEED it (your son and my D are cases) but missing out on life is another.</p>
<p>My son graduated from TJHSST last June. He had enough credits from AP's (12) to give him 3+ semesters credit. People always comment that this is great - we will save so much money because he can graduate early. We told him to enjoy college and take classes that interest him, as well as requirements. He is planning on triple majoring - something that he couldn't do without all the credit he received. I don't want him to lose out on the one time in his life when he can be away from home, do his own thing, but have the luxury of someone else paying the bills. He'll have to enter the real world soon enough.</p>
<p>The article states he plans to attend grad school and the go on to law school so as he states, he has plenty of school ahead of him. Hopefully he'll start to follow his own course rather than external influences and enjoy his remaining time in college.</p>
<p>Fairfaxmom, sounds like a great thing with your son. His APs give him flexibility, but he wlll still get the college experience. As you know college is an experience that goes beyond academics. It is a stage of life in many ways, not to be missed.</p>
<p>Ucsd, ucladad, I agree, this boy has plenty of years of school ahead of him with his Masters in Math and then Law School, so that is a good thing. I hope he can follow his own course without the external pressures from home, like you say. If you read The Overachievers, that is exactly what AP Frank did in a similar situation with extreme parental pressures.</p>
<p>A) I think that this is sad BUT</p>
<p>B) He is staying in C'ville to work on his master's, so maybe he has some of both worlds - master degree in 2 years plus living as an undergrad BUT</p>
<p>C) How much "fun", "living" could a kid have had with those courseloads BUT</p>
<p>D) They, prob the math dept, let this young man take overlapping courses, so he is far from the norm even for a TJHSST grad. I have visions of the kid demonstrating to the profs that he had the knowledge covered in the class, and them saying "Write us a proof for XYZ, and we'll give you credit". They obviously want very badly to keep him in the department. What happened to Princeton? Money?</p>
<p>Soozie:</p>
<p>I did not find the book at my local Borders yet, but it's on my to read list.
My S turned down the chance to take Advanced Standing--like the majority of eligible students. </p>
<p>Last year I talked to one student who was eligible for AS. She was also planning to turn down the option. Toward the end of the year, I talked to her again. She said she wished she could stay for more than 4 years--all those wonderful courses she wished she could take. I predict grad school for her.</p>
<p>I agree with that choice. Acceleration in elem and HS is one thing...your son needed it, and my kids did too. But I don't see the sense of accelerating through college as much. Also there is a vast array of opportunities and challenges at college to accomodate most learners. I also agree that my older D would say she wishes she could take more than she will be able to in four years at her school. Also, while she is abroad for one semester, there was another great abroad program in her field but it required a full year and she'd never want to miss a year of her college, no matter how great the other thing was! :D</p>
<p>PS, I just realized that by admitting this, I will sound like a hypocrite, but I just remembered that I graduated college in 3 1/2 years, a semester early, LOL. I had gone one summer between freshman and soph years, not with an intent to graduate early, but just because I wanted to go there over the summer, and not go back home. It turned out I had enough credit to graduate in Dec. of my senior year and I did. I also was married already. :D</p>
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<p>She said she wished she could stay for more than 4 years--all those wonderful courses she wished she could take. </p>
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<p>Yep. This is the primary reason that I stuck around. I hope that this kid gets time to have his college fun. In one of the articles he mentioned that he knew he couldn't rush fraternities. Well, he should give that a shot if it's something that interested him. There are groups that accept grad students, and he will probably have more luck with that (as a ~19-year-old who's friends with sophomores) than the typical grad student would.</p>
<p>I want to know exactly what were his ECs at his hs? He doesn't seem well-rounded, even for a TJ kid.</p>