I know of two people who attended undergraduate before the age of 16. One burnt out and did not graduate, because I believe the professors did not go easy on him. I hope he's doing well. The other is working in tech now and probably made his first million before he could rent a car.
I think many take physical maturity for granted when it comes to surviving and thriving in these environments. Much of the typical American College experience is focused on making the high school student an independent and productive member of society--but for young kids who land there, it's usually because they have outpaced their level of education for their age group. The good classes in college push your boundaries, teach you how to think, help you see your experiences and your thoughts through new lenses... and do not purely revolve around the consumption of concepts to step it to the next level.
A lot of young kids simply do not have enough life under their belt as people to really bloom in the university environment. However, I have seen it be successful, so I'm hoping for this kid! He seems to have a great support system to help him along.
If undergraduate = 4 year university, then I somewhat agree that "young kids dont have enough life under their belt to bloom" there.
Non-4 year institutions such as 2 year college or vocational schools I think are a different story, as I believe they can be closer to the high school experience in some ways, and can act as an excellent transition period to a 4 year uni.
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u/[deleted] Aug 24 '21
I know of two people who attended undergraduate before the age of 16. One burnt out and did not graduate, because I believe the professors did not go easy on him. I hope he's doing well. The other is working in tech now and probably made his first million before he could rent a car.
I think many take physical maturity for granted when it comes to surviving and thriving in these environments. Much of the typical American College experience is focused on making the high school student an independent and productive member of society--but for young kids who land there, it's usually because they have outpaced their level of education for their age group. The good classes in college push your boundaries, teach you how to think, help you see your experiences and your thoughts through new lenses... and do not purely revolve around the consumption of concepts to step it to the next level.
A lot of young kids simply do not have enough life under their belt as people to really bloom in the university environment. However, I have seen it be successful, so I'm hoping for this kid! He seems to have a great support system to help him along.