Advice for a 13-Year-Old Working Toward a Finance Degree

[topdog98]

Are you referring to the 2 DSST and 1 Straighterline I took for my Bachelors?

I cannot argue with a fellow mighty Acorn.

[topdog98]

I know my perspective is different. But it is not hypothetical for me. I lived what the OP is asking.

So no one misunderstands my tone, I am really not trying to be argumentative here.

I am sure my parents would have been thrilled to keep me a child longer, but that is not what I wanted, so they didn't hold me back. Not many kids out there are going to be asking their parents if they can do this. My advice for the OP is, if this is what you want to do, go for it.

I may have done things differently than some here. I did actually learn the material, probably much better than if I were in a classroom.

From my perspective, I don't see how it limits the OP to have a college degree in finance at 18 instead of just a high school diploma. If he/she then decides to go on and study Theater Arts until he/she is 34 and $82,000 in debt, there will be nothing stopping him/her. (Hopefully, with a degree in finance, he/she will be too smart to do it.)

How is 18 with a degree more limiting than 18 with a high school diploma? I think it offers more opportunities and not less.

Anyway, two years later, I do not regret it. I have been very blessed.

This is my perspective, but I sincerely believe that others with differing opinions/experiences have valid reasons for them.

[cookderosa]

I have never really understood the older members here, why they are always saying this. They have gotten their degrees this way, but for some reason you should not. (Sorry, everyone, I am not meaning to be argumentative. I just have a different opinion than the older folks, obviously.) Everyone is entitled to his/her opinion.

God bless.

That's correct- and I'm one of the older folks you're talking about. I'm 46 years old, and earned both my TESU (then TESC) degrees when I was 38. The distinctions are that:
1) I already had a high school diploma.
2) I already had the degree that put me in my career trajectory. (from the most prestigious culinary school in the country if I'm being direct)
3) In my career, I'd already accomplished many professional goals and pursuing a bachelor's was not a requirement in my career.

As such,
I did earn an AA and BA through TESU. And, I have homeschooled 4 children/teens for close to 20 years now.

It is my OPINION, that cheap and fast works great for adults. It is my OPINION that homeschooled students have privileges that "group school" students don't. It is my OPINION that anyone bright and resourceful enough at 13 to communicate so articulately on this forum- ask smart questions- and do this kind of research, is selling herself short pursuing the "cheapest and fastest."

It is my OPINION that aiming higher would look like using excellent high school or college level curriculum that requires TIME IN THE SUBJECT. Time spent doing a lot of reading, writing, researching, critical thinking, and enrichment. Developing your mind, your thoughts, your opinion about these subjects takes time. It is my OPINION that injecting college credit where it makes sense is good stewardship, because it saves time and money for everyone. So, after the completion of your Biology CLASS with LAB, yes, it makes sense to take the AP or CLEP. But, when college credit is the only goal, everything else gets pushed aside.

There is no college credit for traveling, music, clubs, internships, youth groups, sports teams, fitness, leadership training, part time jobs, making friends, starting a small business, and or hobbies. Any and all of these things will enrich your life greatly. *I can tell that you are exceptional, and a natural born leader- especially since you came on here day 1 and started a CLEP group for young people- you are gifted in that way, so my comments are a COMPLEMENT to you, not a criticism.

I am 100% in favor of shaving time and money off of a college degree. I am 100% opposed to skipping high school.

EDIT to add: I don't know how others feel, but I know for myself, it is always comforting to have a goal to move toward. I'm very goal oriented, so it's comfortable to work a check list. While earning a degree should be a goal, the life experience us older folks is telling you is that it's just one thing- not everything.

[Clodyneseidel]

I can see all points of view but I do believe it can be a good thing to graduate earlier if possible. My daughter is 14 and is homeschooled. So far she has 28 credits. Interesting enough, she has really learned the material. Also, her vocabulary has exploded since she is learning at a college level. She asks a lot of questions and I stay very involved with her subjects. She is practically replacing High School with College. I have a son who is 13 but not ready to take this route yet. My 11 year old girl passed Beginning and Intermediate Algebra with ALEKS. It depends on the child. I am very involved in their education and homeschooling affords us so much flexibility .

[cookderosa]

I know my perspective is different. But it is not hypothetical for me. I lived what the OP is asking.

So no one misunderstands my tone, I am really not trying to be argumentative here.

I am sure my parents would have been thrilled to keep me a child longer, but that is not what I wanted, so they didn't hold me back. Not many kids out there are going to be asking their parents if they can do this. My advice for the OP is, if this is what you want to do, go for it.

I may have done things differently than some here. I did actually learn the material, probably much better than if I were in a classroom.

From my perspective, I don't see how it limits the OP to have a college degree in finance at 18 instead of just a high school diploma. If he/she then decides to go on and study Theater Arts until he/she is 34 and $82,000 in debt, there will be nothing stopping him/her. (Hopefully, with a degree in finance, he/she will be too smart to do it.)

How is 18 with a degree more limiting than 18 with a high school diploma? I think it offers more opportunities and not less.

Anyway, two years later, I do not regret it. I have been very blessed.

This is my perspective, but I sincerely believe that others with differing opinions/experiences have valid reasons for them.

I didn't find your comments argumentative at all. I want to say this with kindness, but no one has regrets in their 20's. Reflection can only happen after the fact, so *if* you missed anything (not saying you did) you wouldn't be aware of it until you're much farther down the road in your life and career. There are a lot of doors in front of people in their teens and 20's and every door has doors behind it. Where you end up is always an accumulation of decisions, not usually just "one" decision- so it's almost never black and white, but there are some rooms that are closed because of any of our choices, and that may or may not matter - but I think it's important to know the limitations that of some of our decisions place on our future plans.

[rowan555]

I didn't find your comments argumentative at all. I want to say this with kindness, but no one has regrets in their 20's. Reflection can only happen after the fact, so *if* you missed anything (not saying you did) you wouldn't be aware of it until you're much farther down the road in your life and career. There are a lot of doors in front of people in their teens and 20's and every door has doors behind it. Where you end up is always an accumulation of decisions, not usually just "one" decision- so it's almost never black and white, but there are some rooms that are closed because of any of our choices, and that may or may not matter - but I think it's important to know the limitations that of some of our decisions place on our future plans.

I'm 44, and I wish I'd have been able to skip high school, which was traumatic for me, or take an accelerated path through college. I was very fortunate in that I had a national merit scholarship for college and didn't pay a dime, so I cannot complain about that. And for grad school I was granted a PhD fellowship. But by the time I earned my Masters, I was weary of school and itching to begin working, so I left the program I could have completed for free. I don't regret that decision at all; however, I do sometimes think that if I'd have not "wasted" my time on high school as a teenager, I'd have been able to get that PhD earlier, and I'd have gone for it.

My 17 year old has no interest in traditional college - it's just not for him, from everything he's told me. He'll have his bachelors degree at 18 and from there the world is wide open to him. He can choose to get a job, to travel, to find part time work while pursuing some entrepeneurial endeavors, etc. He doesn't see this path as limiting, but as freeing. I know other kids at 17 who aren't anywhere near ready for being a college graduate and going out into the adult world. When it comes to most homeschooled kids I know, though, they seem much readier for that than traditionally schooled kids.

[clep3705]

Jennifer is a youngster, actually.

Let's consider AP again. Tens of the nation's elite schools only accept AP and not CLEP. You might think that's not relevant since you aren't going to those schools. You have to think past an undergraduate education. The overwhelming majority of medical, dental, and veterinary schools will not accept AP tests, CLEP tests, or any other credit by examination test. In the specific case of biology, there are a few that accept AP for biology, but what that is done, they require two additional biology courses with labs. Admission to these types of professional schools is so competitive they aren't going to accept CBE or lab work done in an online course where you ran experiments in your kitchen.

With proper planning, you could graduate at age 17 or 18 with your last year done at a physical university. Maybe Pepperdine where you could take a surfing class. Or the University of Hawaii campus on the Big Island where you could take a geology course on volcanoes. Your lab work would be done at an actual volcano. Or you could go to Harvard Extension - yes, that's partially a physical university. You have to attend Harvard in person for a few courses. Dorm life at Harvard would be interesting. Grand Canyon University is another great choice. Beautiful scenery. Take some field trips to learn about geology. Maybe go to Texas A&M Galveston because some of their classes are held on an ocean going ship. The so-called older members and even youngsters like Jennifer would love to have an educational experience out of the box but have too many family obligations to do them.

Older members, speak up. How many of you plan on going back to school when you're finally retired? Who is going to use that Social Security check to pay for a dorm room somewhere? By the way, I'm looking for a roommate at the University of Hawaii ten years from now. I don't snore.

[zapproximator]

Thank you everyone for all your help!!

[zapproximator]

Wait, are you saying they wont accept any CLEPs or just they wont accept prereqs as CLEPs?

By the way, I have a lot of doctors/dentists in my family and I find medicine REALLY boring. (;

[clep3705]

Professional schools don't like credit by examination for prerequisite courses. Even if they technically accept it for say English composition, the person who took the courses at a good university and made A's has an advantage over the applicant who used credit by examination. Even more true for science courses.