finish high school fast?

[cameron marical]

hi. im a freshman in highschool, and i want to finish highschool much faster than its going. i know i can learn all the stuff myself through the library and internet{wich i am} but i still have to go through 4 years of stuff i already know. im not saying that im smarter than anyone else, i just am more interested in science in particular and take in information becuase i want to, not because i have to, so its alot easier for me than the average teenager who takes 4 reluctant years to learn stuff that their going to discard afterwards anyways.

 

my point is that i wanted to see if anyone knew of any ways to get out of the 4 year thing, still learning the same stuff, just faster.i would like to just learn the stuff on my own and take a test showing that i know it all so it could get me out of it or something.

 

ive talked to my counseler, but all she gave me is something that costs 200 bucks per 30 credits wich i need 180 credits per year to graduate, so itll take me quite a bit of money to do that. wich i dont have.

 

does anyone know of a better, cheaper way to get out of highschool and into a university quicker than 4 years and less expensive?

 

i plan to be a valedictorian and get into the desired college of mine for alot cheaper than usual{ high standards, but i can do it} wich seems kind of errogant for me to just say, but i know i can do it. my accumalitive gpa is 3.5 and its going to keep raising.

 

thankyou.

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

What exactly did she give you? Is it an online class thing or something else?

 

Most school districts should allow you to get credit by exam by taking the final exams in courses of your choice. You may be able to do that.

 

Alternately, take a look at Simon's Rock College of Bard. They sent me letters when I was a sophomore. They admit students who haven't yet graduated from high school. There may be other places like them, but I only ever received anything from them.

[cameron marical]

she gave me a little booklet about some program called pass. its an online thing.

 

ya, thats what i was hoping for when i went to go talk to her, to see if i could challenge out of courses like in colleges showing that i already know all the material, but i guess i cant do that because i need the credits too. i dont see why i need credits when i know it all already. grrrrrrr.

 

that link you posted did seem pretty cool. up my alley, the first thing i read said "what if your ready to go to college now". i like to think i am. i hope i dont sound too cocky niaeve here.

 

but the admission fees were like in the high thirty thousands.i really dont have any money, nor does my family. thank you though.

 

i may be just doomed to agonzingly grit my teeth through 3 and a 1/4 more years of highschool like most others.no im not giving up yet. maybe someone will come up with another idea...

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

http://www.simons-rock.edu/admission/tuition-and-financial-aid/applying-for-financial-aid/

 

If you really can't afford it, most colleges will offer you need-based aid. They're no different. It's worth a shot to apply and at least see what sort of money they might offer you.

 

Surely you can get the credits by exam, rather than just getting out of the course?

[cameron marical]

i will look into it.

 

where is this based at? is this an online college or an actual campus? it seems that the people in the little pictures are all from the east coast. is it somewhere over there?

 

thanks for your help.

[iNow]

Address at the bottom of every web page at their site. Looks like they're in MA.

[John Cuthber]

"i plan to be a valedictorian and get into the desired college of mine for alot cheaper than usual{ high standards, but i can do it} wich seems kind of errogant for me to just say, but i know i can do it. my accumalitive gpa is 3.5 and its going to keep raising"

 

 

Learn to use capital letters; how to spell arrogant, and that "a lot" is two words or you are not going to get very far in the academic world.

[Theophrastus]

Well, I find one problem is that where I live, a requirement of completing a course, is that to take it, you need to have completed the preceding one, so on and so forth. Thus, I really find that at least where I live, nobody goes to a university or college, until finishing grade 12, regardless of aptitude. Are there any ways to surpass this in Canada? I was just wondering, as I'm thinking of taking some higher level courses, without the nuisance of taking the consistent route through the easy predecessors. Any ideas?

[cameron marical]

"i plan to be a valedictorian and get into the desired college of mine for alot cheaper than usual{ high standards, but i can do it} wich seems kind of errogant for me to just say, but i know i can do it. my accumalitive gpa is 3.5 and its going to keep raising"

 

 

Learn to use capital letters; how to spell arrogant, and that "a lot" is two words or you are not going to get very far in the academic world.

 

I will get into that habit right now.

[Mokele]

One thing to consider is that the 'extra time' HS takes could be considered useful. I know that much of my most useful knowledge came from reading and researching outside of class during HS and my first few years of college, though this may be less applicable if you wind up in a field that doesn't rely on taxon-specific knowledge the way organismal biology does.

[cameron marical]

Yes, i agree, and i have learned alot more science-wise out of school on my own than in school. I just want to get out of some of the stuff i already know and get to stuff that i dont. Or at least get out of some of the stuff i already know so i can focus more on the things i learn out of school at such a faster, better rate. I want to be a Molecular Biologist, and am learning quite a bit about it in my free time, but like Einstein said, "The only thing interfering with my learning is my education".

 

Right now i just learn all the stuff i can on websites like this or the library and then talk to my biology teacher on school days after class if i have any questions.

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

There is a difference between the learning you'll get out of school and the education you'll get in school, and if you want to succeed in college you'll need both.

 

Let me make an example with physics. Out of school, you'd learn big picture stuff -- how relativity works, what inertia is, and all that fun stuff. You'd be able to talk physics really well. But in school you learn the nuts and bolts of it: using equations to solve problems and applying those concepts to real situations. You won't get that out of school unless you have the discipline to force yourself to do practice problems and learn from a textbook.

 

So unless you think you can get both sides without ever taking a class, your education won't be getting in the way.

[iNow]

What about all of the social aspects of our existence one learns in school? This has always been one of my biggest problems with home schooling (well, that and the fact that a single parent cannot possibly be an expert in all subjects and it's generally used to indoctrinate children and prevent them from learning truths which contradict the parents faith).

 

But yeah... socialization his hugely important in learning, especially if one wants to be successful post graduation in the "real" world.

[cameron marical]

But schools can also be social nightmares for some, and homeschooling is prefered. Though not in my case,{im relatively social}, i see why some parents do this.

 

Your right about how they probably dont know everything that school teaches you though.

 

I dont see a difference between the stuff i learn at home versus the stuff at school. If anything, i learn more at home on my own because i can delve further. I dont just accept things, i have to learn how things work down to the last bit, {nuts and bolts}, and im driven on curiosity, wich is what makes me learn every detail about these things.{god i wish more others were too}

[iNow]

But schools can also be social nightmares for some

 

Which is precisely why they are so useful in teaching us about dealing with others out in the real world. As for content, being around others allows you to obtain a denser understanding... you will hear their questions, as well as their proposed answers... all leading you to think about the information in new ways. I've learned more from being around other smart people (and even some dumb ones) than I ever have from a book or website alone. I suppose YMMV, though.

[cameron marical]

Hmm.I agree.

 

YMMV?

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

Your Mileage May Vary.

 

I've learned a lot by being around people who ask lots of questions. You might think you know something, but when you have to answer someone else's tough questions you learn it a lot better.

[Theophrastus]

Your Mileage May Vary.

 

I've learned a lot by being around people who ask lots of questions. You might think you know something, but when you have to answer someone else's tough questions you learn it a lot better. -Cap'n R.

 

That, is an absolutely brilliant point!

[cameron marical]

I never though about it that way.

 

With that said:

 

Does anyone have any tough questions?

[mrburns2012]

It's good to have an ambitious mind, but there is a lot more to learning than reading books (the reason for science labs, etc...). You might think that you can get away with learning from the internet, but by learning so much advanced information without any direction or basic understanding, you're essentially loading your mind with word salads. Once they overload your brain, they may start spewing out everywhere... and I think it's beginning to show in some of your posts. I think it's a lot better for you to pick up a biology course at school and start from there. If you really like what you are learning, it'll be evident by your performance at school. And there's no reason why you wouldn't have extra time for yourself to learn extra stuff if the pace of your school is too slow for you.

[SH3RL0CK]

Does anyone have any tough questions?

 

Why do you want to finish high school early? This only means you will start working earlier. You will be working for most of your life anyway, and as most people doing it will tell you, its usually not fun (thats why its called work ). Why start early and miss out on what could be fun times in high school and college?

 

FYI, all you need to do to get out of the next four years is pass the GED: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GED

[cameron marical]

NO, i dont want to drop out and get my GED. The reason i want to finish high school fast is because i want to go on to more school that teaches more stuff, college, and i dont want to have to wait all this time to get to it.

 

Another thing, i would take many more courses at my school that i want to learn, but regrettably, i cant becuse of my age and math, and ive tried to get math teachers to teach me advanced stuff, but they all refuse wich is quite frustrating becuase ive gotten A's the whole year in almost all my classes{2 b+'s last report card, the rest A's}, so im clearly demonstrating that i can advance at a faster rate than most are trying, and ive tried to talk to my counseler and everything about it, im going to summer school to get ahead but i can only take 2 classes. The internet and the library are my last learning tools.

 

In class, we go over a thing for a week, when i can learn it in a day. we learn in semesters what i can learn in a month, its all just too slow, its frusterating.

 

Since a like all the stuff im being tought, i take it in better, making me learn faster than the people who arent intersted as me{everyone else at the school}.

[crazybrain68]

You shouldn't be so anxious to wish a part of your life away, there is much more to high school than learning what is taught in class. High school teaches you how to deal with people, which is a vital skill in all aspects of life, including the sciences. I also think you are underestimating the value of the basics of science, sure a lot of it can be boring, but it is key to understand the basics if you are going to really understand the cool, advanced concepts. You don't want to get to college and do poorly because you lack the basics because you rushed through high school. However it is excellent that you show this much enthusiasm and desire to learn science, that is amazing to see in a high school freshman.

 

My high school also had what was called Science Olympiad, I do not know if your school has this, but it would be a good way to learn more advanced topics and compete against other schools.

 

Good Luck

Edited May 9, 2009 by crazybrain68

[spooky]

The reason why you go over it a million times in a week is because they are trying to get you to commit it to memory. As far as i'm aware its pretty damn difficult to get a subject commited to memory in a day, well in long term memory. What chance is it that you are going to remember it in any great detail a few weeks down the track?

 

The fact that your grades are so high is a sign that the effort you are putting in is paying off! This is a very good thing. The School purpose isn't really set to custom fit students, its there to give a general education. You'll be up to your neck in advanced studies soon enough. perhaps you could try and see if you can do a mixed course? We have programs here in australia which allow senoir students to take up a uni subject whilst completeing highschool. If you have a look about your local campus's perhaps they have something similar?

 

I go to the library where my mum goes to uni and just hang in there and absorb books. its rather refreshing. Yes I am the sort of person that enjoys the smell of old books. *grins*. Anyway. Theres always something you can do. No time spent in education is time wasted.

[halogirl]

cant you just get your GED? also think about this, you say your more interested in science then others and you learn about it easier, so i'll bet you stick out alot among people, you hang out with older people, right? i might have it totally wrong, and you might fit in just fine in college, but just think about it. even your friends who are older then you you don't really fit in with right? imagine how hard it'll be to hang out with people who are much older and more mature then you. who've had more experience, and are actually almost adults while your still young and slightly immature, don't take it personally there are just things your age group don't understand yet, and i'm not talking about reproduction, but think about that too, it'll be hard to find a partner who doesn't think your a little kid, and you'll miss out on the experience of growing up in highschool and seeing your friends mature as well, it's just so akward to hang out with adults all the time, so it's really wierd to not have an option, and if your just a freshman it'll be hard to get a job until your old enough, how will you pay for it? seriously consider getting your GED or take duell-enrollment classes, it pays off a little bit, and you don't have to miss out on the early dating experience.