4 ms·

I got out of my junior and senior years by taking the GED and going straight to college. I think that benefitted me a lot more than just graduating college a co

I got out of my junior and senior years by taking the GED and going straight to college. I think that benefitted me a lot more than just graduating college a couple years early. The environment was radically different and freeing. Teachers weren't babysitters. They wanted us to do well, but they weren't going to coddle us. I noticed that immediately, and it really changed how I approached my classes. I didn't have to be there if I didn't want to, so I really invested myself in a way that I don't think would be possible if I were being forced. In Oregon at least, colleges must consider a GED score over 600 equivalent to a high school diploma. I went to the local college (SOU) for one year to get a solid transcript, then used that to transfer to a state college (U of O). I'm really glad that I did

lordalch 5y ago
How were you able to take the GED exam at 16? I looked into doing this while I was in high school, and found that I wouldn't be able to take the exam until I was 19, defeating the point. Perhaps it varies by state? If so, I applaud Oregon for not forcing students into a daycare program for any longer than necessary. If I were a policymaker, I would even be comfortable with lowering the minimum age to 14 or lower.
- gedy 5y ago
  California at least has the CHSPE[0] which is 16+ [0] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_High_School_Proficiency_Exam https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_High_School_Profi...
  - dreadlordbone 5y ago
    I did it in 1999 when I was 15, immediately started working two different 4 hour jobs and stacked dosh.
- mind-blight 5y ago
  I'm not sure what the minimum age here is, but it never came up for me. The one thing I know was somewhat unique to Oregon at the time was making all public universities accept the GED
- stevenicr 5y ago
  Had similar problem some years ago in VA.. went to take the ged at 15 - signed up, then was told 16 was min age. Went back a year later, signed up, got told the state law was changed to 17 that year - and it went into effect on my bday. Went back year later, they changed it to 18 I was then told. Guess it helps the schools get money by enrolling people that can't test out, I dunno. I wanted college bad at 15 and 16. By 18 I started seeing many things differently - still took it at 18 and passed just to do it. By then I'd seen many go to college and come out worse off than they went in, and was no longer enamoured with the whole college degree equates to success thing. I believe people should be able to test out and test up - and for many people that would mean skipping more of what is sold as high school and become vocational training or what have you. Kids of the future deserve more flexibility than what we've had / have.
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
dan-robertson 5y ago
From the perspective of the U.K. I can’t imagine it being a very good idea going to university early. One reason for university to be better than high school is that you get to feel like you are learning a lot about your chosen subject, and you get a lot more freedom in how you do it. This is probably still mostly the case if you are under 18. The other purpose of university is socialising people into acting like “well-rounded” middle class adults, and in many ways this is an improvement from high school (for one thing, the students are willing and if they don’t like a situation, they can just leave). I would worry that socialising wouldn’t be the same for someone under 18. Obviously a lot of socialising revolves around alcohol but not drinking needn’t be a problem—the bigger issue is that a lot of socialising may revolve around places where alcohol may be served from which a 16 or 17 year old might be excluded. I also don’t know the laws about living alone at those ages either—if one were not allowed to live like the other students it would not be good, I think. It’s surely different in the US where lots of things are cut off from anyone under 21. I suspect the argument against would be that the social aspects don’t matter, but I just don’t buy it.
- KMag 5y ago
  I went to the University of Minnesota my sr. year of high school. I remember a sophomore in my physics class being less enthusiastic about hanging out when I gave her a heads-up that I was (1) under 18 and (2) likely moving to Massachusetts or Michigan the next year. Otherwise, I found socialization easier than in high school.
- jxidjhdhdhdhfhf 5y ago
  I think the argument against it is that social aspects matter to some degree but the drinking scene in college is literally and figuratively toxic.
  - dan-robertson 5y ago
    I’m talking about the U.K. and while there is certainly the option of binge drinking culture, it was definitely not required. But my time in university was full of events where alcohol was served and I don’t know how such things would work for someone who mightn’t be allowed in due to that—if you’re 18 you can turn up and refuse the drinks and no one will care much, but if you’re 17 you maybe can’t turn up, even if you would refuse drinks.

lordalch 5y ago

How were you able to take the GED exam at 16? I looked into doing this while I was in high school, and found that I wouldn't be able to take the exam until I was 19, defeating the point. Perhaps it varies by state? If so, I applaud Oregon for not forcing students into a daycare program for any longer than necessary. If I were a policymaker, I would even be comfortable with lowering the minimum age to 14 or lower.

gedy 5y ago
California at least has the CHSPE[0] which is 16+ [0] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_High_School_Proficiency_Exam https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_High_School_Profi...
- dreadlordbone 5y ago
  I did it in 1999 when I was 15, immediately started working two different 4 hour jobs and stacked dosh.
mind-blight 5y ago
I'm not sure what the minimum age here is, but it never came up for me. The one thing I know was somewhat unique to Oregon at the time was making all public universities accept the GED
stevenicr 5y ago
Had similar problem some years ago in VA.. went to take the ged at 15 - signed up, then was told 16 was min age. Went back a year later, signed up, got told the state law was changed to 17 that year - and it went into effect on my bday. Went back year later, they changed it to 18 I was then told. Guess it helps the schools get money by enrolling people that can't test out, I dunno. I wanted college bad at 15 and 16. By 18 I started seeing many things differently - still took it at 18 and passed just to do it. By then I'd seen many go to college and come out worse off than they went in, and was no longer enamoured with the whole college degree equates to success thing. I believe people should be able to test out and test up - and for many people that would mean skipping more of what is sold as high school and become vocational training or what have you. Kids of the future deserve more flexibility than what we've had / have.

deleted 5y ago

[deleted]

dan-robertson 5y ago

From the perspective of the U.K. I can’t imagine it being a very good idea going to university early. One reason for university to be better than high school is that you get to feel like you are learning a lot about your chosen subject, and you get a lot more freedom in how you do it. This is probably still mostly the case if you are under 18. The other purpose of university is socialising people into acting like “well-rounded” middle class adults, and in many ways this is an improvement from high school (for one thing, the students are willing and if they don’t like a situation, they can just leave). I would worry that socialising wouldn’t be the same for someone under 18. Obviously a lot of socialising revolves around alcohol but not drinking needn’t be a problem—the bigger issue is that a lot of socialising may revolve around places where alcohol may be served from which a 16 or 17 year old might be excluded. I also don’t know the laws about living alone at those ages either—if one were not allowed to live like the other students it would not be good, I think. It’s surely different in the US where lots of things are cut off from anyone under 21. I suspect the argument against would be that the social aspects don’t matter, but I just don’t buy it.

KMag 5y ago
I went to the University of Minnesota my sr. year of high school. I remember a sophomore in my physics class being less enthusiastic about hanging out when I gave her a heads-up that I was (1) under 18 and (2) likely moving to Massachusetts or Michigan the next year. Otherwise, I found socialization easier than in high school.
jxidjhdhdhdhfhf 5y ago
I think the argument against it is that social aspects matter to some degree but the drinking scene in college is literally and figuratively toxic.
- dan-robertson 5y ago
  I’m talking about the U.K. and while there is certainly the option of binge drinking culture, it was definitely not required. But my time in university was full of events where alcohol was served and I don’t know how such things would work for someone who mightn’t be allowed in due to that—if you’re 18 you can turn up and refuse the drinks and no one will care much, but if you’re 17 you maybe can’t turn up, even if you would refuse drinks.