

Ask HN: Graduate early? - PieSquared

Hello, HN.<p>I'm a junior in high school. I have the option of attempting to graduate early.<p>What do you think of that?<p>I don't know whether it should be done.<p>Here's backstory:
I'm a junior. By the end of this year, I will have completed Multivariable Calculus, if that matters, and would've taken 7 APs. There are still some interesting classes to take next year in my school, but I'm thinking maybe there would be less crap to deal with in college, and more learning; I'm also not sure of advantages of staying in high school.<p>I'm thinking that life is short, so there's no reason to waste it, and I might as well skip a year.<p>I'd like your take on this. Thanks so much.
======
apsurd
As someone who hated high school in high school, and never went to college, my
advice is: stay for senior year.

Yes I thought hs was a waste of time. I think talking to "normal" people is a
waste of time. I didn't go to college because I thought it was for normal
tool-idiots that accept this spoon-fed idea of universal "success".

Yes, I had a lot of angst in those days! Now on to the point.

High school is not about learning academics. It's about growing up in a social
environment. Enjoy senior activities. Enjoy hanging out with your friends,
enjoy your prom. Yes, all of those things are over-rated. But its just a part
of growing up and you can never go back.

It's funny, we all like to think we can learn from other peoples experiences,
and we can, but certain things, you just have to go through. It can't be
explained in a way that anyone can _truly_ understand.

Growing up is one of those things. No matter what I or anyone else tells you,
you will not truly understand until you just go through it.

But I'll tell you anyway. High school is fun because its high school. You get
to be a dumb kid and complain all day about how you want to be free. But
that's cool because you get to do it with a bunch of peers that are dumb and
want to be free too. You get to love a girl, and then get your heartbroken all
in the same week. And as much and as hard as you believe that you _are not_ a
dumb kid, well, you are. No offense intended, but you will agree with me when
you are older.

College is pretty much the same. Though you actually do get your pseudo-
freedom. Above all "college is what you make of it". So even though it can be
exactly the same as hs, it does not have to be. But right around your 3rd/4th
year of college you'll realize just how much of a kid you still are. Neither
good nor bad, just ...much more growing up to be done.

Then when you get out of college, you realize everything you've done means
nothing, adult life sucks and then you crash and then hopefully you reach a
level of humility.

With humility comes patience and understanding.

It is after this point that you realize as much as you thought high school
sucked ass, it didn't, it was fun. You realize as much as you hated (or liked
college) it really didn't matter, because it was necessary to help you get to
where you are now:

humble

patient

appreciative

understanding.

So slow down. That's the best advice I would give my teenage self. And hell, I
probably would never listen either. But there is such happiness and beauty in
slowing down. I am going to cry now.

Appreciate things as they come, be happy, and enjoy your life.

Oh yeah, and as for girls, they are the key to happiness. But boy does it take
a lot of work to get to that level of happiness.

Good luck!

Go out with your gf. If you don't have one, put down the keyboard, and go get
one.

F productivity.

~~~
electronslave
Given that you're probably not long out of high school, I'll cut you some
slack. You look like you could use some.

The major problem with your argument is that you're telling someone that they
can't learn from someone else. Then you go off and spout some pop-psy
graphorrhea at her/him. Looking through your past posts, I can see that you're
a fan of self-help books. That's fine. Don't push it on someone who's facing
the prospect of 2 years she/he wouldn't have to otherwise waste.

The points you bring up:

Socialization: Sounds like you could use some with how much you're emphasizing
romance there. Socializing is important, but unless our young poster has been
living under a rock, the chances that he's had some experience making friends
is pretty good. Let romance come later. Even autism finds a way to continue
itself biologically. If she/he doesn't want to have sex, what's the point in
making her/him feel awkward?

College: What if our poster wants to travel? Oops, that broke your model of
using university as a self-realization tool.

Maturity: Is not a function of writing output on the internet. Seems like at
least one of us could learn that lesson. Also, it's not a function of how many
things a person has done that _you_ consider worthy. The OP might be at the
furthest possible point from your definition from a kid. We don't know. Next
time you're sitting alone with your finger up your nose, think about that for
a second.

As for all that pseudo-religious stuff you spouted, close your self-help book
and live a little. Don't worry. Buddha/Jesus/Yaweh/David Koresh will forgive
you. I promise.

Seriously, y'all, circling the drain isn't cool. The only thing that helps you
is you.

~~~
apsurd
I'll reply once and only once.

Mainly, you are taking my post way too seriously. Your counter points are all
based on what I literally wrote.

Socialization: Never said anything about having sex or forcing the issue with
girls. I said get a gf for the sake of experiencing getting a gf. So what?
Obviously he does not have to if he does not want to. Taken too seriously.

College: I specifically said I did not go to college, so I don't know what
model of mine you are referring to.

Maturity: Never said anything about the internet. Yes I know you intended to
be witty. Never said anything about doing anything. My take on maturity is
simple: You have to mature to be mature. Actually I think we are in agreement
there, though I don't know why you assume we are not. Skipping a grade, nor
does any other one action entail maturity. My advice is simply to enjoy the
experience and slow down.

On self-help. Agreed. I speak of self-help books because I've read them. There
is a time for learning and a time for doing. Currently I very rarely read
anything any more. All the books say the same thing, and I have learned not to
search for answers, but rather simply to learn from tests. Learn and grow,
learn and grow.

I hope i have clarified everything for everyone else reading. I am not really
religious, but I like buddhism. Finally, my post wasn't a thesis!

Have fun.

~~~
electronslave
"Taken too seriously" whiffs of "I'm too good to eat my own dogfood." And yes,
literal does mean written. And your writing was a statement backed by
arguments, fulfilling necessary and sufficient conditions to be considered a
thesis. Pedantry aside, I've got a beef here.

You seem like you want to be nice, and like PieSquared wants to listen.
There's a definite problem here, though: I don't like Landmark indoctrinators,
and a lot of your phraseology comes from that direction, so my hackles were
raised instantly. It might come from having had one as a roommate, so if
you're just chattering happily away, my apologies. Landmark is scary enough so
that when I see them get around another person, I have an immediate negative
response.

Addressing what you've currently said, slowing down
(<http://www.slowmovement.com>, am I right?) is irrelevant, because it _still_
means there's a checklist. School, career, car, wife, house, kids, vacation,
retirement, cancer, grandkids, dead, buried, gone. Yes, we'll always be dirt
in the end. No, we don't have to march to oblivion. Some of us can subvert
this as authentic freethinking entrepreneurs. Not all, but some.

------
frossie
I would advise going against going to college a year early. However graduating
from high school a year early is a different issue. Is it possible for you to
do something really creative with a year off? For example be an exchange
student in a foreign country and do year 12 there. This would be good for you
because :

(a) you don't get to college too young

(b) you still will be able to socialise/date within your peer group

(c) you will learn a foreign language by total immersion

(d) living in a different country is an awesome experience

(e) you don't have to worry about the foreign language hurting you
academically.

Think about it.

------
petite
If I could offer my own experience, I had a similar situation my junior year
of highschool. I chose to stay for my senior year. At that point, there was no
academic reason for me to stay in school, so I had actually loaded myself up
with courses from a particular teacher simply so I could spend more time with
him in classes (he was our schools CS teacher, so although I was in classes
ranging from AP Comp Sci to Math for Seniors II [low level math], I spent my
time being mentored in comp sci). I also spent alot of time in the art room.
Otherwise, I had only been in that school district for about 2 years, so I did
not have many relationships with any of the other students.

Basically, I think what was positive about my experience was that I was able
to spend time with an experienced programmer (he unfortunately left the
following year, but he had years of experience building businesses and had a
doctorate in CS, so it was pretty awesome). But honestly, if that teacher was
not there, it would have been a total waste of my time. Highschool sucked for
my social experience, and it was mainly in college that I felt I found my
place amongst my peers. Freshman year in college was pretty much that same as
highschool regarding the people (and I went to a tiny private tech school),
but as I got into the later years, it was definitely easier to find people
that I wanted to surround myself with (motivated, smart people). The courses
were hit or miss, some were really great, others were a waste of time, but
unlike highschool, these courses were usually only for an hour a week. And of
course, there's tons of organizations and clubs to join, whether it's with the
school or the town the college is in.

So really, if there's something you think you wouldn't want to miss out in a
last year in highschool, whether it is building a relationship with
someone/some group of people, or taking some particular classes, I'd stay. But
if there's nothing there for you, move on. You'll spend the year bored and
annoyed that you are wasting 6 hours of the day essentially locked up in a
building, when in college, you'll be able to go on to more interesting things
in a less restricted setting. Or if you take the year off, you'll have free
time to do whatever projects you want to, or go to random places.

Good luck with whatever you decide ;D

------
bmcleod
As someone who graduated HS at 15 and Uni at 17 mostly due to skipping years
whenever it was offered I'll say go for it.

However, be aware that first year uni is even more pitifully easy than final
year high school where the teachers know you and are willing to give you extra
work.

You can pick up socializing wherever you want. I did it in a mixture post-grad
philosophy classrooms and dance classes.

I'm 20 now and on a perfectly sensible salary with my student loan now a very
minor consideration.

------
jtnak
Fucking drop out of school now, it's a waste of time in general and if you
manage your money right, you could end up ahead of everyone who pays huge
school fees working at Wal-Mart for minimum wage, or some other kind of shitty
job like that.

E: Frankly I don't care about your predicament, but the fact that you wrote
this on the internet says something about you. There are several ways to
interpret it, and none of them are good.

2E: I graduated half a year early and had a great vacation for a couple of
weeks thanks to my parents but otherwise didn't do too much. I think it was
better than high school. HTH

~~~
ryanwaggoner
This is horrible advice. High-school dropouts who leave school at 16 or 17
because they think it's a waste of time rarely end up ahead of anyone, and
certainly not by "managing their money right", whatever that means. You scorn
a minimum-wage job at Wal-Mart, but where do you realistically expect someone
without even a high-school diploma to get a great job? And how would he
explain the fact that he had done really well in high school and challenged
himself, then decided to quit so close to the finish line? I can't believe I'm
even bothering to respond to this drivel.

And you bothered to leave a comment, so you apparently threw in the barb about
not caring just to be an asshole. Classy.

 _the fact that you wrote this on the internet says something about you. There
are several ways to interpret it, and none of them are good._

On the other hand, there's only one way for me to interpret your comment:
you're an ignorant troll.

~~~
nostrademons
"where do you realistically expect someone without even a high-school diploma
to get a great job?"

Netscape. ;-)

~~~
tsally
The world is different now. Things rarely work that way anymore. Also, if he
were as good of a programmer as jwz he certainly wouldn't be asking for
advice.

------
felideon
I'm not going to give you any one advice on what to do, as I think any advice
someone can give you will always be biased. Those that feel they did not enjoy
their life too much will say "stay in school, enjoy life". Those that probably
enjoyed life too much will say "be smart, skip senior year."

That being said, I started college at the age of 16, and skipped my senior
year in high school. So, based on my experience, here's what you can expect:

    
    
      - Not having a prom night
      - Not going to a senior trip
      - When all your friends in college are > 21 years old, it will be awkward dating chicks and not being able to buy them drinks or taking them out to a club, and you will probably not have a good time trying to sneak into clubs every time your friends want to go out clubbing.  (This can be solved with a fake ID of course, if you can get your hands on one.)
      - You will always be the youngest guy around you.  If you get a normal day job this will suck because everyone will always have more experience than you, and have a stronger voice/opinion than you.  This might not be a problem in a startup with young guys.
    

Here is some advice though, if you do choose to skip your senior high school
year:

    
    
      - Try not to get a day job too soon in your life.  Once you do, it is *very* hard to quit.  (I still haven't been able to 5 years later.)  Stay with your parents and work on a startup instead.
      - Study abroad if you can.  Learn a foreign language, live another culture.
      - You may eventually find that you compare yourself to guys older than you, and get frustrated for one reason or another.  Never forget they are 5-10 years older than you and by the time you're their age, you will have accomplished much more than they have.
      - Do not drink as much as your friends do.  They have been drinking much longer than you have, so don try to catch up with them.
      - Do not fall in love with girls 5+ years older than you.  You do not want your heart broken when they tell you they need to move on because their biological clock is ticking, nor do you want them to pressure you to marry them.  However:
      - Get married young.  Realize you will have a college degree by the age of 20-21.  No need to wait till you're 30 to get married or have kids like people usually say nowadays.  You will mature faster and start a family younger, and you will be that young, cool dad one day.

------
JimmyL
As many have said, he socialization of high school is worth it. I'd even go as
far to say that what you would gain by moving everything forwards a year would
be less that what you'd gain by having a more "normal" college experience by
coming in at the right age, but I have no numbers for that.

If you're bored, start contributing to Open Source stuff (maybe turn it into
an Independent Study course), do a start-up (look at Mark Bao to see that it's
possible), and study a bit so that you can destroy your SATs. You may as well
take a few more APs too - figure out which ones will transfer well to you
college (as I left HS with six APs, but only got college credit for two of
them since they most were in random things like European History) and do them;
things like Computer Science AB, Physics C, Calculus BC, and Chemistry should
let you bypass almost all of your standard freshman science courses, and will
be much easier than their corresponding "real" college versions.

If you really feel like you need some knowledge, follow along with an MIT OCW
course (and if you're really ambitious, find a teacher who will let you do an
Independent Study on it) or an evening one at your local community college.

I'd also suggest finding an interesting teacher to hang out with and establish
as a mentor. In my junior year I took Comp Sci A, as taught by the school's
director of IT. He knew I would get a five in a heartbeat (and I did), so he
suggested some other projects which were pretty cool. The following year I
couldn't take BC based on the schedule, but I would drop into his office every
other week or so to hang out, talk about what stuff I'd been working on
independently. More often than not we'd start digging into some code and two
hours would have passed before I'd leave, at which point I'd go back to
whatever class I was supposed to be in (armed with a good excuse note). As a
rsult of this I polished my skills, got access to a whole lot of the school,
and got some really good advice about how to succeed in the business. I still
talk to that teacher, ten years later.

Most important, thought, is enjoy yourself. Hang out with your friends, pick
up some hobbies, hook up in the park, steal your parents' booze, make fixable
mistakes. You will never be a kid again, and the marginal value of one more
year of "real life" isn't much.

~~~
brianto2010
> _...things like Computer Science AB..._

Um... AP CS AB was cut and won't be offered 09-10....

[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-
dyn/content/article/2008/04...](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-
dyn/content/article/2008/04/03/AR2008040303925.html?referrer=emailarticle)

------
UpFromTheGut
Sometimes it's helpful to think in contrapositive: would it be more
regrettable to miss that year of high school, or to miss other opportunities
that time could afford you?

I, in fact, skipped all four years of high school, and opted to go to
community college instead. I collected college credit until I was 18, went to
a university, and finished in 4 terms. I'm much further along now than I would
have been otherwise, and haven't regretted the decision once.

You could always attend community college for a year before going to college.
You'll save money, have a lot of course work behind you before transferring,
and get to meet new people at the college. If you're in California, you'll
have a much better shot at getting in to a UC as well.

------
bavcyc
Next year will mark my 25th year out of high school. My college career
included two different times through my alma mater. The first time I supported
my endeavors by working in the dorms, which included helping freshman adjust
to college life while the second time I was the non-traditional student who
had worked in industry for a wee bit.

If I knew then what I know now, I would have graduated high school as early as
possible since it did very little to prepare me for the real world. There were
a couple of teachers who had an influence on me but overall there was a lack
of intellectual challenge and I don't know that learning social skills from
immature peers is all that healthy. I did have fun taking vocational courses
as they had some application to the real world and have helped me to this day
in my professional field.

My first time through college, I spent lots of time with graduate students and
professors. This was very beneficial and even helped socially. The second time
through I found the undergrads were more social and rarely did the grads and
profs interact with the undergrads. Two different departments/colleges at a
university and a world of difference between a non-technical department and a
technical department.

My recommendation is to graduate early if you think you can do it. Pursue as
much research, or start ups, as an undergraduate as you can. If at all
possible do study abroad while in college, as there is much you can learn from
living in a different culture.

Take part in student government, clubs and sports as time allows but learn to
say 'no' to too much involvement. If you have problems getting dates read Doc
Love (use google) as he provides a framework that can help you and college has
many more opportunities for dating than the 'real' world, e.g. my workplace is
80% male and the women are all married.

The biggest difference between college and high school. In high school, they
still treat you as a kid and guide you to success. In college, it is up to you
to accomplish your goals. If you do not have the self-discipline or
motivation, then you will fail in college.

Due to my parents' divorce, I was pretty much on my own for junior high and
high school other than laundry. The only difference between high school and
college for me, was that living in the dorms I was guaranteed three meals a
day rather than having to cook my own food as I did in high school and I had
to do my own laundry.

Two of my high school classmates had a rough transition to university life.
One ended up joining the Navy and to my knowledge has not completed college.
The other finally finished, took the only job offered but is now VP of a firm.
I was able to finish the course work in my first major in 2.5 years and added
a second major.

In essence, whether you succeed, regardless of when you start, in college is
up to you. If you want to do it and are focused then you can. But if you rely
on external discipline then you will have a tough time of university.

------
tsally
I wouldn't. Take more AP classes now, and then in three years decide whether
you want to graduate college early. Either way you save a year, but in college
you'll be older and able to make better decisions. You need to give yourself
time to grow. :-)

If your school doesn't have any more AP classes, study for the tests yourself.
You seem like you're smart enough. I knocked off a year and a half of college
through APs. Two of my friends did the same. One is graduating a year early
and taking a full time job in California, one is getting a masters in four
years, and I'm getting a second degree in four years. Having an extra year in
college means a lot more than having an extra year in HS.

In addition to doing the AP tests next year, see if you can work with a
professor at a local college once or twice a week. They'll write you a pretty
powerful recommendation for college and you'll get some nice experience to
boot.

------
jackowayed
I'm about to start senior year and really wishing I could either go work
programming or, failing that, go to college.

It sounds like academically, there's no reason you couldn't graduate early. My
friend just did that. He was in my grade junior year, was taking 5 APs + calc
3 and ODE (after having taken 3 APs the year before and 1 the year before
that. he basically had done all of the APs my school offered that weren't
really easy (like APES)).

He didn't try to graduate early, but he applied to Stanford and MIT as a
junior. (I think he got some approval from the school saying "this guy is
ready for college".) He got wait-listed to MIT, but he got into Stanford. They
gave him financial aid and everything.

Now he's about to head off to Stanford, and he thinks he's getting a HS
diploma in a year.

But it's a complicated equation. It depends on a lot of things. The variables
include:

* Friends. If you have really good friends that you really like, you may not want to leave them yet, and that's fine. * The exact alternative. If you can get a lot of cool stuff done while also being in HS (I had a coding job this summer that I'll do some this year, time permitting, and I'm about to launch what may become a startup), there's less reason to need to leave. * Exactly how much you hate/are tired of HS. I'm really tired of the bullshit, the pseudo-learning (memorizing just for a test and the like), etc. * Where you want to go to college. You may be a stronger applicant if you wait a year (though maybe not). If there's a school in your state that's strong in what you want to do, and you just want to go there, it doesn't really matter. But if the plan is going to Stanford/MIT/Ivy, you need to be a ridiculously candidate for it to even be likely. No one's a shoe-in. Then again, graduating early might make you stronger too. I'd do some research as to which colleges would prefer usually.

And there's tons more. If there's a strong reason driving you to leave, you
can definitely pull it off.

The best option may be to try to do what my friend did, if you can. Then you
get 2 shots at those elite schools. But you should probably be sure that
you'll go to college if you get in. I'm sure they wouldn't be happy if you
turned them down, and then they got another application from you a year later.

------
dylanz
Stay in school for Senior Year... AND SLEEP WITH AS MANY WOMAN AS HUMANLY
POSSIBLE. Sorry, had to say that.

My real answer however, is to skip Senior Year. You have the option that a lot
of students don't. High School has it's perks, but I think you'll find the
college atmosphere a lot more... how do I say... comfortable.

College isn't (mostly) a "scene" as High School often is. You'll meet people
from around the world, and from different walks of life. The students are,
well, older and maybe a bit more mature / less judge-mental.

Regardless, you're in a great position, and it sounds like you'll be doing
well with either choice. Most importantly, have fun and enjoy those years!!

------
PieSquared
Well, to everyone, thanks for all the responses. I really appreciate.

What I've decided is that I'm going to take the safest road I can. I have the
option to apply to colleges, then wait for a response, and afterwards decide
whether or not I want to graduate (or drop out). If I am satisfied with
colleges' responses, I will most likely end high school after this year;
otherwise, I will stay for another year.

As someone said in the comments, the truth is that in my situation, it will be
good no matter what I decide. There is no use brooding about it for too long.

Again, thank you to everyone who responded. Hacker News is a great community
for things like this.

------
David
As a high school senior, I'm jealous of your opportunity (though no doubt you
earned it.) I would probably leap at the opportunity to skip this year. I
share your opinion on wasted time, but more with classes I don't feel that I
need than with other students who hold me back.

Part of my distress is my graduating class of 46 people. I don't have peers,
and it pisses me off sometimes. But that may not be the case for you. If I had
a group of like-minded, intelligent, and ambitious people to hang out with, I
would probably be looking forward to this year.

And surely there's something to be said for learning how to do things before
you're expected to do them right... I think, in my case, that's especially
true of relationships. I need this year for social development, even if my
intellectual development will suffer a little.

You, however, would appear to be more motivated than I am. If you can seek out
a college course load in high school, in whatever area you're interested in
(that is, without too many fluff courses), then gaining the extra year of
social development would likely be beneficial in the long run -- no downside.

Putting myself in your situation, I would want to skip the year. What I should
do, however, is NOT skip the year. (I had a similar debate about skipping 2nd
grade, except that I didn't really know how to weigh the possibilities back
then. (I didn't go for it.))

As tsally suggested, I would definitely try and find a college professor to
work with. Do research in your field of choice. It's more interesting than lit
homework, neh?

So I'm not really sure why I would be qualified to give you advice. Feel free
to ignore. =)

------
bkovitz
Before the 20th century, with all its mass-scale standardizations, going to
college when you were 14 or so was not so unusual, at least for people who
liked academic subjects. The college curriculum is best absorbed when you have
nothing else competing for your attention, like paying the rent and worrying
about career.

You _can_ get a _Lord of the Flies_ education in human social life in high
school. However, suffering through that did not teach me anything except to
hate ordinary people. If you're not interested and ready to learn how to play
popularity contests, being in a school for playing them might not teach you
much, either.

Whether you graduate high school or not, whether you go to college or not,
whatever you do, as long as you retain your physical health, you can easily
start all over again at 25 or 30 (multiple times, even). You can even start
again at later ages, though with less social support (and perhaps more
freedom). The statistics-wielding scolders are telling you scare stories that
don't apply to you.

Going straight to college from junior high school is an interesting move.
<http://www.43things.com/entries/view/2869199>

------
_pius
Unless you're having a rough time of it in high school, I'd advise you to
enjoy your teenage years and the leverage afforded to you by virtue of being
considered young and precocious.

Precisely what advantages are you hoping to gain from skipping your senior
year in high school? "More learning" and "less crap to deal with" aren't
advantages; they're common signs of teenage angst in smart high school kids.

~~~
PieSquared
Maybe I misformulated a bit? Perhaps.

I'm not having a rough time in high school. You might even say I borderline
enjoy it at times. However, I also recognize that a lot of my time is wasted,
and that some things and policies are just silly.

What I meant by 'less crap to deal with' wasn't angsty. I meant two things:
First of all, many teachers teach as babysitters, not as teachers; second of
all, many students act as rowdy, uninterested kids, making class essentially
pointless. That's what I meant - not any teenage angst. (Well, maybe, maybe
just a teeny bit :P)

Among other things I find important is transportation. I take 1.5 hours on a
bus every day to get to and from school.

Thanks for the response, by the way.

~~~
stonemetal
>>a lot of my time is wasted

Your time is only wasted if you allow it to be. If they are really doing the
babysitting thing then quietly doing your own thing ought to be possible.
Especially if you are good enough to keep up with class while doing it. I used
to work nights in HS, slept through classes and would be periodically woken up
to answer questions get them right and go back to sleep.

~~~
petite
You can definitely make the best of it, but there still is a BIG difference
between being forced to stay in a building for the bulk of your day, and being
able to choose what to do with your time.

------
alex_c
My personal experience / opinion:

High school was boring as hell. I didn't graduate early, but the last year
really started to feel a bit like torture - I was ecstatic to finally be done.
University was infinitely more enjoyable, and felt like it ended too quickly.

However, some of the strongest bonds I have were made during high school.
Relationship-wise, in retrospect, high school was depth, while university was
breadth.

Not rushing high school also allowed me to do well enough to attend university
for free, without ever having to worry about my workload during high school.

Overall, I guess it didn't hurt me to graduate HS on time.

Now for the advice part: if you want to save one year so you can graduate from
university faster, don't bother. Life is short, but youth is the best part
anyway... a rush towards some nebulous idea of adulthood is pointless, it'll
come sooner than you want anyway. If you want to use the extra year to explore
more courses in university, or to use it towards a graduate degree, or even to
travel for a year - that might be worth it.

------
DaniFong
It worked very well for me ultimately (honestly I don't know _where_ I'd be if
I struggled through highschool), but comes with a word of caution.
[http://daniellefong.com/2008/05/15/advice-to-the-bright-
and-...](http://daniellefong.com/2008/05/15/advice-to-the-bright-and-young/)

------
maggie
Look into studying abroad, taking community college classes, and the possible
repercussions of graduating early.

~~~
PieSquared
What are the possible repercussions of graduating early? That's really what
I'm interested in most.

~~~
maggie
(1) Are you planning on going to university? a) most top (u.s.) universities
look down upon graduating early. They'd prefer to see you really use up all
your resources in your area and say, win siemens, start a non-profit, become a
lobbyist, start a start-up than graduate early. b) can you get into a (good)
university right now?

(2) Finances. Do you currently rely on your parents' finances? Upon graduating
high school, will this change? Would you have to pay for university yourself?

(3) Are you mature enough to be doin' what 18 year olds do when you're 17? I
assume you're a dude (most folks here are), and dudes mature slower than girls
do. There's a big difference between 17 and 18 (although not really a big
difference between 22 and 23, or 40 and 41...)

(4) (small one) Having to explain to all your peers for the next 5 years that
yes, you are younger than them and why. Not being able to drink in public
legally for a year longer than all your friends.

Honestly, I don't know where you live, but I'd look into Other Enrichment
opportunities before graduating early. I went to a state-run public boarding
school for science and math in my junior year that was more like college than
some colleges are. Can you just take less classes senior year and work on a
start-up? (I presume you're interested in those 'cause you're here...) Are
there good universities (or bad ones) in the area that you could take classes
at?

All of those seem like much better options than graduating early and "starting
life" earlier. "Starting life" always seems just around the corner when you
finish yet another milestone, but I'm slowly becoming more aware of the fact
that life starts now (not to get too philosophical).

~~~
PieSquared
> _"Starting life" always seems just around the corner when you finish yet
> another milestone, but I'm slowly becoming more aware of the fact that life
> starts now (not to get too philosophical)._

That's my main inspiration for trying this. Why waste time in high school?

Anyway, thanks for the response and the pointers as for what to consider. 1)
is really the major one, as well as 2).

(I think I'm mature enough? Well, then again, who would say they weren't? And
I do not drink, and do not plan to start.)

Thanks :)

~~~
maggie
Hmm...I might not have made my point clear:

I think it's a mistake to view 'starting life' as when you're finished with a
milestone (i.e. high school). One should instead think of 'starting life' or,
life, as now, regardless of the contextual situation (in high school, in
college, not yet married, not yet a successful start-up founder, etc.)

------
hedgehog
Select several of the people who know you best who are in their 40s or older
(parents included). Ask them what they recommend you do with your life and
why. Your analysis of that advice is probably about the best guidance you can
get. My only direct advice is to at some point soon get a job for a while in a
field you're interested in (summer, part time, something). The contacts and
perspective will probably be valuable.

My anecdotal experience: When I had the choice to speed things up I took it
and it's worked out well for me. I did lose touch with a lot of friends. On
the other hand some of the friends I made at 18 and 19 after I started working
are still my best friends and I attribute that largely to those associations
being by choice rather than by circumstance.

------
mattmcknight
The key is figuring out what gets you the best chance of getting into the
universities you want to go to. If you get rejected, you could always try
again next year!

I don't know how many additional APs are available to you, but I was able to
score 30 credits (1 year) max, based on university regulations. Those 30
credits were cheap. You might want to look into the policies of the
universities you are considering and see if there's a point in taking any
more.

The third way is to see if you can get leave to spend half of your day senior
year attending classes at a local university (if there is one).

Anyway, you're in much better shape than I was at that point in time. Keep
working hard.

------
NoBSWebDesign
I was in your exact same boat, though I stopped just shy of multivariate
calculus in High School, and after the first 2 calc classes, took statistics
and whatnot.

Anyway, I would suggest staying in high school and enjoying it. I ended up
only going to school for half the day my senior year along with a buddy who
was in a similar situation. Then a few days a week, we'd attend a college
class in town. The other days, we'd go to the beach, or really anywhere and
just relax. Those are days we'll never get back, but it's ok, because I think
we spent them properly the first time around :-)

College will still be there in a year.

------
taitems
I graduated high school at the age of 16, turned 17 in January and started
university in February (Australian). I missed all my friends who stayed for
the extra year. I took a placement between my second and third year and have
continued to work for the company. I'm now 20, studying part time for my final
year and have been seeing someone for over a year now.

BUT the moral of the story is this: I'm 20. I feel about 40. Even if you
graduate early, go travel for a year. Bum around. Spend some YOU time and get
the most out of life. I sure as hell didn't.

------
coryrc
If graduating early means a worse plan afterward (say, community college
instead of a good school), I would stay. Otherwise, graduate early and go to
college or take a year off. Life is too short to waste in high school.

I graduated college a year early from college and wish I had graduated high
school early instead. Maybe another way to view it is: if you knew you were
going to die in seven years, would you rather spend four years in high school
and three in college or the other way around?

------
johnswamps
Another possibility is to not graduate at all, and go to a school that accepts
students who have not graduated from high school. I did this, and went to
Simon's Rock College. It's not a super prestigious school, but there are a lot
of students who are in the same situation as you. A majority of students
transfer out after their second year when they get their AA and go to a more
traditional college.

I got my BA there and am now getting my PhD at a top 3 school in my field

------
beambot
Spend the extra year doing detailed searches for (and interviewing with)
potential faculty advisors at top undergraduate institutions.

Odds are, you'll land a great undergrad research opportunity that will pull
you away from the monotony of academic undergrad life. Further, take those AP
classes and more importantly, take the exams! The top scores (that you'll
hopefully earn) will allow you to opt out of the overcrowded and over-
simplistic "basic" university courses.

------
dsil
I don't think you should leave early. Think of it this way, you'll be in the
"real world" from approximately age 25 through the rest of your life, getting
there one year sooner doesn't really do anything for you, and in the big
picture senior year of high school is a really unique time in your life. Enjoy
it.

~~~
swolchok
Having an extra year of time relative to your age group might help you decide
to get an advanced degree after college, and you never know what that can lead
to. For example, I was committed to getting a master's degree after I
graduated college a year early because of the perception of "free" time. That
has led to my current career path as a security researcher, which wasn't a
serious possibility before I started grad school.

------
zaidf
If you think you'll waste it, yeah finish early.

But I think what a lot of folks here are saying is it doesn't have to be a
waste.

As someone who was in your position in high school, I completely slacked off
in señor yr and it was def the most memorable year.

------
andrewhyde
I had this same option, graduated a term early, did a 50 day Outward Bound
course (highly recommended) and then came back for Prom, etc.

Went to college the next year, relaxed and with some great lessons on my
hands.

------
peterbraden
Do it. Go travel for a year. Then when you go to college you'll have a lot
more life experience and self confidence that any classes would have given
you.

------
pmorici
If you enjoy high school for reasons besides just learning, ie: socializing,
clubs, or sports you should probably stay the extra year.

------
pizza
Stay a 'child' while you can.

~~~
bkovitz
Good advice. Also, you can stay a 'child' as long as you like, even in
college.

------
maxwin
It is time to learn how to make your own decisions.

~~~
tsally
At 16 years old? I don't think so. Asking for advice is absolutely the right
thing to do.

~~~
PieSquared
I'm trying to compromise by asking for as much information and advice as I can
and being as well-informed as possible, then making a decision, and making
sure that the people I respect and trust don't disagree. :)

