Motivation(s) / reason(s) to graduate early?

Question

Many homeschool students "graduate" early - it can be done and is done all the time...

We are planning on 4 years of high school and perhaps even a "gap year." If you are wondering, colleges are often OK with this as long as the gap year is spent doing something meaningful. The advice from admissions folks that we have gotten is to apply, get accepted and then ask to take a gap year.

Anyway, early graduation does not fit with our circumstances / my son's goals. But I am really curious about the "whys" of those whose circumstances and goals lead to early "graduation" from high school.

Answer 1

I'm a professor at a college with lots of high school students; our state offers an early-college option for high schoolers who qualify.

And they're planning to expand the program.  It's wildly successful; in my experience, the 16 and 17 year olds are often more motivated and likely to succeed than the 18-year-old who slacked through the senior year and formed bad study habits.

Yes, I know, that's not home schooling--but it's relevant I think because it proves that many students are ready for college at an earlier age.  I'm aware of quite a few early-college programs, and ALL of them have been successful.  On the flip side, there was that study a couple of years ago that showed the leading reason that students drop out of high school is boredom.

Clearly, public schools aren't teaching to the students' level in most cases.

Multiple intelligence theorists suggest that there are some disciplines that are best mastered early.  Mathematics, in particular, should be accelerated--students should be through calculus by age 18 if possible.  Foreign languages ought to be introduced prior to age 7.  Early college programs won't address the foreign languages, but they do get students to the proper math level.

Back in the 1960s, the educator John Holt published a number of books, most notably "Why Children Fail".  One of the things he noted what that our mechanistic, Theory-X schools award diplomas based not on learning outcomes, but on how many hours your behind was seated in the classroom.  I'd say that the learning outcomes are more important, and a student who's mastered something needs to move on to the next thing--or try a different thing--or apply the knowledge--or take a rest.

Now, as for college admissions--I wouldn't even worry about the perceived quality of a "gap" year.  I'd give serious consideration to starting at a community college, since the costs of education are skyrocketing and every bit of debt avoidance can help.  The only schools that yield a tangible advantage are the very top-tier schools--the Ivy League colleges in general, and  then the top schools in specialized categories (like MIT and Cal Tech for science/technology, Berklee and Julliard for Music, Culinary Institute of America for cooking, Fashion Institute of Technology for fashion design, etc. etc. etc.).  If your kid is getting into one of those, bravissimo!  But have your local community college as the safety net school, right?

Answer 2

I did not officially graduate a year early, but I only took one semester of English during my last high school year.  I spent my senior year practicing 5-7 hours a day on audition music to get into the conservatory of my choice.  Most of my (homeschool) friends graduated a year early because, well, why not?  Why not get a head start on 'life'?

Answer 3

I think some students are just ready to be done with "school" and move on with real life.  In some ways, focusing on schoolwork can take time away from other meaningful activities.  

In addition, learning doesn't stop after high school graduation.  For me, real learning began when I graduated college and stopped all of the required memorization and writing papers that said exactly what I knew the teachers wanted to hear.  (I graduated summa *** laude from a well-respected University using this method.)

I would LOVE to have my children finish up high school early or do some type of dual enrollment where they earn 2 years of college credit while still in high school.  I want them to be able to graduate college quickly and move on to starting a business or starting a family and being in charge of their own time.

I think both high school and college are a bit overrated.  (Although college was big fun.)  I've learned everything I needed to know on the job or by doing my own research.  Once finished formal schooling, I began to enjoy learning again.

Edited:  The starred phrase above did not block out a curse word, but a phrase that means "with highest honor."

Answer 4

My daughter said she simply wants to get it out of the way.  From my own perspective, 4 years seemed too long for highschool and college.  It really doesn't need to take that long unless you want to go slowly.  And there is nothing wrong with going slowly.  I just never had the patience for it.

I'm curious what you think is speding time meaningfully.  That seems quite subjective.

:D

Answer 5

Some people don't use a structured year-by-year type curriculum.   My kids started taking college courses when they were fourteen.  By seventeen, they were doing several college courses at a time.  What was the reason to do more Abeka when they could earn soph-jr level credits for college classes? They still studied math, language arts, social sciences, health, etc.  It was good enough to count as highschool/college dual credit.

Homeschooling is wonderful because it fits the child. Whatever fits your child is fine.  When you feel your homeschooling time is done, graduate the child.  Celebrate what he learned.  Enjoy his accomplishments.

Answer 6

I will graduate when i am 16 and also be taking a gap year!!:):):) ( I did 1st grade and kindergarten in the same year and started at an earlier age). I am taking 4 years for highschool. I think it is a lot easier to speed through school during middle school but I don't think you should rush through highschool. Highschool classes are tough and you have to make sure and get plenty of college credit. There is more to highschool than just classes. There is also driver's ed, SAT prep, SAT, ACT, looking at colleges, college admissions and don't forget just being a kid. I recommend that your son takes community college classes during highschool (not many maybe just 1 a semester). This will really prep him for college and get him used to the demanding college atmosphere. So I guess I am saying that highschool is jam packed and there is no need to rush through it.

Answer 7

My son will likely be done with high school by the time he's 14 or 15; he started K at 4 and was doing 3rd grade work by 6 or 7, that's just him.  He's 10 and working through an algrebra text - I can't stretch high school math over the next 8 years for him, you know?

However, our area has great opportunities for high school homeschoolers to do concurrent enrollment at several local colleges and universities, so I'll count his college work as high school for him.  (I'm keeping records now for any high school work he does, so he'll have the transcript to get into the program, but it's really his middle school/jr. high years.)  He'll probably "graduate" high school - like have his graduation ceremony - when he's 17 or 18, but he'll also likely have at least an AA, if not much of his Bachelor's taken care of.

I figure that graduation from high school, at least for a homeschooler, should take place when the student is ready to become responsible for themselves.  I don't see my son being able to do that at 14, know what I mean?  He's a responsible kid and all, but still a kid.  I guess I gauge it more on readiness and life skills than on academic work.  He can already keep up with high school math and science, and we read classics together, but that doesn't mean that he's ready for the big, bad world.

I think some kids are ready at a younger age, like 16 or so, and are able to take on that responsibility; for them, early graduation may be the best choice.  For us, I'll simply make college-level work in his degree of choice the requirement for high school graduation.  (By that time, he'll be old enough to help determine what he can handle for a college schedule.)