Anyone start college at a young age

[Argo]

I started at 16. Worked out ok. I think.

 

[MotionMan]

This is a How-To video on attending college at a young age. Make sure your son watches it.

(My wife (and her twin sister) started college at 17. Other than getting mixed up with me, they did fine.)

MotionMan

 

[deadlyapp]

This is a How-To video on attending college at a young age. Make sure your son watches it.

(My wife (and her twin sister) started college at 17. Other than getting mixed up with me, they did fine.)

MotionMan

I started at 17. Starting at 16 is I'd say a substantial jump, depending on your circumstances.

I started college at 15, but it was a community college, and therefore not too extreme, but it did help me prepare for a 4 year university once I got to that point. If you are used to high school academics then it is a tremendous change, both in the way the teachers act, as well as the coursework and speed.

 

[Soccerman06]

I'm pretty sure I told you what to do with that kid of yours like monday, send him to cc and have him learn his associates for cheap. Worst case he gets all his general requirements out of the way. This post is from experience.

 

[PrinceofWands]

I was allowed to audit a few courses from the time I was pretty young (took the first one at about 12 or 13). At the time you weren't allowed to earn credits unless you had a diploma or GED, which was too bad. I didn't take many until after high school however, and it was just a local community college, so it wasn't a true 'college' experience.

I absolutely loved it however. I was shocked to find a place where people were actually given information and encouraged to do something with it, to voice dissent and opinions, to work to their potential, etc. Was everything that regular school wasn't for me.

 

[PrinceofWands]

Part of college is the social life. It's going to be bad if the kid is too young to enjoy it.

Only if YOU want it to be for yourself. College is ACTUALLY only for education, but it's been corrupted by vocation and by anthropological necessity (replacing rites of adulthood). That's ok for those that want/need that, but it's hardly a necessity (and has definite severe negative implications).

 

[MotionMan]

Only if YOU want it to be for yourself. College is ACTUALLY only for education, but it's been corrupted by vocation and by anthropological necessity (replacing rites of adulthood). That's ok for those that want/need that, but it's hardly a necessity (and has definite severe negative implications).

Neeeeeeeeerds!!!




MotionMan

 

[Powermoloch]

I started college at 16 turning 17

and i'm 24 finishing up my degree....

oh how life can be fun sometimes.

 

[AznAnarchy99]

One of the guys on my floor of my dorm was 17 when he started. Ohhh how we corrupted that innocent little boy =P

 

[DanDaManJC]

So is your kid going to a local community college and doing a "running start" style program? that is -- basically taking general ed classes while also in high school... or is legitimately done with high school and going on to a 4 year school?

id also have to agree with the social aspect.. he doesn't at all have to get into drinking, drugs and sex, but depending on his personality it might be hard for him to make friends. in the end, it's all about you taking initiative to get yourself out there and make the best of your situation... but OTOH being a little kid, at 16, does do a pretty good job of automatically making you an odd-guy-out.

i also think if you're indian or chinese it'll be more acceptable... there are plenty of foreign kids that are younger at these unis that are more family oriented than most white kids --- that is, a lot of the foreign indians ive met have a much stronger sense of obligation to their families (ie: in terms of bed times, going out, dating etc)

 

[SLCentral]

If your kid is able to go to college at 16, maybe he should go to CC for a couple years and then try to get into a top-10 program at an Ivy or somewhere similar. Not that Madison is a bad school, but if he can graduate HS at 16, he's clearly gifted.

 

[deadlyapp]

If your kid is able to go to college at 16, maybe he should go to CC for a couple years and then try to get into a top-10 program at an Ivy or somewhere similar. Not that Madison is a bad school, but if he can graduate HS at 16, he's clearly gifted.

that would do everything but help him. Going to CC is in most ways, a failure if you are going to try to get into a very high level school. If you are smart enough to graduate high school at 16 with AP, and honors, etc, you should have little trouble applying outright to an ivy style school. If you go to CC you're just another person with an AA trying to transfer.

My .02. I graduated high school with my HS diploma and an Associates degree. I was 17 at the time. Didn't make me anything special, and I largely view the associates as useless, even though it is more than quite a number of people out there in the world. I didn't even put the associates into my application for colleges really, and I don't think i've ever put it on a resume.

 

[PhineasJWhoopee]

So is your kid going to a local community college and doing a "running start" style program? that is -- basically taking general ed classes while also in high school... or is legitimately done with high school and going on to a 4 year school?

id also have to agree with the social aspect.. he doesn't at all have to get into drinking, drugs and sex, but depending on his personality it might be hard for him to make friends. in the end, it's all about you taking initiative to get yourself out there and make the best of your situation... but OTOH being a little kid, at 16, does do a pretty good job of automatically making you an odd-guy-out.

i also think if you're indian or chinese it'll be more acceptable... there are plenty of foreign kids that are younger at these unis that are more family oriented than most white kids --- that is, a lot of the foreign indians ive met have a much stronger sense of obligation to their families (ie: in terms of bed times, going out, dating etc)

He was a young student already because of his birthday and he skipped 8th grade. We moved and he ahd already taken most of the 8th grade classes.

 

[wiredspider]

Started at 17, no big deal. I've seen a little 12 year running around campus too, he always had a huge backpack...

 

[MaxFusion16]

really depends on his maturity, personally i wouldn't do it at 16, too young, why the rush?

he's already ahead of the curve, why not take a year off and do something fun? travel is good.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

I started at 17. I don't think going at 16 is a good idea, other things being equal. The social aspect of college is one of the most significant parts of it from a formative perspective, and a 16-year-old is just too young to make the most of that IMO.

 

[PhineasJWhoopee]

really depends on his maturity, personally i wouldn't do it at 16, too young, why the rush?

he's already ahead of the curve, why not take a year off and do something fun? travel is good.

He could spend a year in another country learning a foreign language. He has family in Europse he could stay with. That's a possibility.

 

[iGas]

My ex's sister grad pharmacy school at 21 (5 year degree & worked 2 years as a pharmacist), and she will be finishing med school and go into residency next year at 27.

As others has said maturity is the more important than age.

 

[deadlyapp]

He could spend a year in another country learning a foreign language. He has family in Europse he could stay with. That's a possibility.

Harder to get scholarships when he comes back if that is something you are looking into.

 

[PhineasJWhoopee]

Harder to get scholarships when he comes back if that is something you are looking into.

Will probably just send him to a state school (Madison or U of Minnesota).

 

[Aztech]

I went at 16 too. It sucks. Everyone's older than you. When they go to clubs that are 18 or older, you can't go. Can't date any girls while your roomates bring in hot 18 yrold freshmen and play with them. Socially, it's a bad experience.

Part of college is the social life. It's going to be bad if the kid is too young to enjoy it.

Yeah, been there done that and it sucked bad. Here's my story:

Immigrated to the States and things got messed up and I ended up skipping fifth grade and was almost 2 years younger than my classmates after that. It SUCKED! I was small to begin with, and now I was hanging out with guys 2 years more mature. The high school showers, I never did that. Rated R movies with my senior friends in high school, I stayed home. Chicks, I didn't dare. No prom, no nothing. And college was just as bad. My roomates would go out party and come back with women and tell stories and I just felt like shit. I never recovered either.

It probably depends on the person to a certain extent, but I STRONGLY recommend against it.