How early to start working on college credits?

[TrailRunr]

Let me be picky for a second and emphasize that I didn't say that. I said "I think it's a shame when a parent signs Timmy up for TESU's distance learning degree in business *just because* it's low hanging fruit. It deprives the teen of a big stage in their maturity in my opinion <grin> which is worth exactly what you paid for it."

The helicopter-approach-over-parented-over-planning-degree-just-because the kid has to do what I say since they're homeschooled is what I think denies the teen an opportunity to mature. There is a "muscle" of sorts that atrophies when young people don't get to be undecided, unsure, confused... and then pull together a plan / decision with loving guidance and support from wise parents or mentors. Whether or not that teen goes on campus or online is really a matter of pragmatics. Not all degrees need 4 years face to face, and some degrees need much more.

Then we're going to have to disagree because it goes beyond the helicopter parent not giving up the controls. You don't need all 4 years face to face, but I believe online is an inferior product vs. traditional on-campus. We talked about this a bit in the other thread about lazy professors flocking to online classes. There are lazy professors on campus, but they are way worse in the online world with AWOL professors gone between first day and last day. The social interactions disappear with online. Online class discussion forums don't count as social interactions.

Even "good" TESU professors are lazy. Steve Ryan is often cited as good. But I caught him using boilerplate responses because he used the wrong one on me twice.