I'm starting my junior year of high school in September and I'm thinking about doubling up so that I can graduate a year early, in '09. Do any of you have kids that have done this or have done so yourself? I've been looking seriously at colleges so that's not a problem but I'm wondering how much extra work this will be and what classes I will have to take. Any advice or suggestions would be greatly apperciated. Thank you.

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Thanks Dennis. I've got about 18 credits so far and need 22 to graduate. My school thankfully has dates set before school starts to change your schedual. I'm taking advanced classes and am in some of the higher regular classes. I'm going to talk to some one probably next week but I was wondering if any one else had done this sort of thing or had any ideas about it. I just tried looking it up on the school's website and got zip. Dad says it might be a good idea and I like the sound of it but I was hoping to learn a little more about it. Thanks again and please keep the advice coming.

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Hi!

My son did what you are thinking of doing. Lots of pros and cons. He made the decision is April so he was able to start looking at colleges over the summer. I always felt like things were very rushed and not handled correctly. I was told colleges wouldn't like this decision but that couldn't have been farther from the truth. If he stayed in 4 years he would have had enough AP credits to enter many schools as a sophmore (which means the colleges lose a year of tuition). One of the problems many students have is getting English11 and English 12 in the same year. It worked for him because he had block scheduling and took English 11 first semester then AP English second semester. The students in the county where I teach either go back and take English or sometimes do English 101 in summer to count towards senior English. The other problem may be that many scholarships that local organizations give state "graduating senior" If they were worded this way, he was not eligible because the classification was a graduating junior.

This decision works for many but I wish my son hadn't done it. I don't think he was ready He changed colleges 3 times before graduating. He still graduated from high school with 4 years of Spanish, AP English and and AP Calculus. On the other hand my friends daughter did it and just recently graduated from vet school. She knew just what she wanted and wanted to get to college as soon as possible, several years of medical school ahead of her. You haven't mentioned why you want to graduate early? My daughter could have done this too but she chose to be more involved and did many more AP classes and had a much more active school life. Ryan was just bored and tired of school although a good student.

Good luck! It's a really hard decision. Really talk with your counselor and parents and question the pros and cons.

Charlotte

This year I have 8 study halls a week and if I understand the reseach I just found correctly, I only need to take English 12 and possibly P.E. in my senior year. I'm hoping to major in English and minor in Education so that I can become the writer I've always dreamed of but if it doesn't work out I can fall back on being a high school english teacher. I want to graduate early so that I can get a head start in college and have a better chance at getting my dream job(s). I've been in the National Honor Society since 8th grade and already have more than half the requirements I need to graduate. After some quick math I just figured out that I will have 21 credits if I leave my schedual just as it is. Add the P.E. and English 12 credits and I'd have 23 credits. I've been looking at colleges since I took the PSAT last fall. Two have caught my eye so far but the search will continue. Thank you again for the advice and please continue with input.

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You can't smell the roses if you're buried in books.

Why fill up with study halls? Can you go half day then use the afternoons a bit more productively? Look at community service and volunteer work. College admissions boards love that. We get high school kids at my school doing volunteer work or practicum. My senior year I went to the Y and did a volunteer swim program with handicapped kids. I also was working at a dept. store that year. I learned before college that I didn't want to do marketing near as much as I thought and I really wanted to work with kids. I was really leaning in a career in fashion design or marketing and that experience helped so much to sort out my goals.

Another option is dual enrollment where you enroll in college and take a few courses. That will give you a taste what college is like and may help eliminate a year of college. That's not a bad thing for financial reasons.

Charlotte

Linda Brew, and Kris, said it best!!!!  SLOW down. You have the rest of you life to be an adult and work your "dream job". Right now,,, enjoy being a highschool kid.  These days go fast, and one day you will wake up and think,,, "damn" they went fast, and I even cut them shorter. I know if you allready made up your mind, you are TOTALLY ignoring everything I am saying. But if thats the case, in 15 years ,,,, you will remember what I said,,,, with regret. Dont get me wrong, chasing a dream is a wonderful thing, all i am saying is, you can still catch that dream, it wont out- run you in a years time. I hope you are happy with whateveer choice you make. Good luck.   Tuck

tuck wrote on Aug 9^th, 2008 at 11:55pm:



Good words Tuck. Time that goes by fast, and looking back with regret applies to any period in a person's life. When I read your post, it made me think of how I hardly think of high school, and the people there. I do look back on my 20's and 30's and wonder where the time went.

I enjoyed high school, and in my first two years, it was really fun. In my junior year, things were changing for me personally, and I needed to and wanted to get out as soon as I could. The last two years were a blur. Not to hijack the thread, but I wonder, does anyone really remember their high school years? Go to reunions? Were you in a group, like a clique... or a club?. Just wondering... Sorry Felicia.

I understand what all of you are saying about stopping and smelling the roses. But to bluntly honest, the roses bore me! I've been trapped with my mother for the past 16 years of my life where every thing I did was controlled by her. She let me do nothing and then complained when I did something I wanted to do. Now I'm starting to get free of that and I want to do things other than what some body tells me to. I am listening to your advice and taking it to mind but personally I feel like every one is trying to slow me down. You can only stare at the ceiling for so long before you loose your freaking mind. My school is in the middle of no where, does nothing, and has nobody that I'm really going to miss. I need out. What ever the decision I make, I will be able to handle it and I will be the damn best that I can be at it with or without people standing in my way(mom). We go to talk to the school Thursday so I will let you know then. I don't mean to yell or get upset but this is something I want to do so I'm taking it very head strongly. Thank you again for all the advice and suggestions.

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That is the best advice that has been given. I'm impressed that Felecia even asked our opinion! Check your pm Felicia

Charlotte

I do take my responsibility 100% and I take everything in this thread very seriously, as any adult would. I asked only because I didn't know what it would entail and I thought maybe some of you had gone through something similar. I'm sorry if there was confusion. I thank you for your advice and I understand what each of you are saying, but what I was trying to say was that in the end, it will be my decision. Your opinions have given me something else to look at and I will keep them in mind but in the end I have to do what's best for me.

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