Why are UMC kids graduating 1 yr early from college?!?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:School just isn’t fun anymore. It’s not about exploration or making friends. From one year before they start tracking math in your neighborhood, it’s about executive function and taking all the right classes. And it never ends. You might as well stop spending money and start making money, because you’re not having fun anyway.

This. If your only goal.is to make good grades and get the highest paying job possible, why not finish as fast as possible? College is essentially trade school to these types..

To “types” that aren’t rich, yeah

+1 seriously

Even though we are UMC, we don't come from money. We earned every penny and actually help family members. Finding yourself in college is a luxury we don't really have.

People who say that college is a "trade school" to us type of people are elitist aholes in their little privileged bubbles who know nothing about how the real world works.

Actually I am the pp and am a first generation college graduate from a woking class family. I knew this was my last four years of not working full time and decided to take as much advantage of it as possible; I also worked part time the whole time I was in college and did internships.

It's better to have some fun while you are young enough to enjoy it. Those kids keeping their nose to grindstone to just change it for another grindstone after 3 years are going to regret it 20 years from now. I saw how hard my parents had to work, and knew I would have to work even harder as first generation in college.

I can understand middle.class and working class kids who are under pressure to save money, but really don't understand UMC kids who don't have to worry so much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:School just isn’t fun anymore. It’s not about exploration or making friends. From one year before they start tracking math in your neighborhood, it’s about executive function and taking all the right classes. And it never ends. You might as well stop spending money and start making money, because you’re not having fun anyway.

This. If your only goal.is to make good grades and get the highest paying job possible, why not finish as fast as possible? College is essentially trade school to these types..

To “types” that aren’t rich, yeah

+1 seriously

Even though we are UMC, we don't come from money. We earned every penny and actually help family members. Finding yourself in college is a luxury we don't really have.

People who say that college is a "trade school" to us type of people are elitist aholes in their little privileged bubbles who know nothing about how the real world works.

Actually I am the pp and am a first generation college graduate from a woking class family. I knew this was my last four years of not working full time and decided to take as much advantage of it as possible; I also worked part time the whole time I was in college and did internships.

It's better to have some fun while you are young enough to enjoy it. Those kids keeping their nose to grindstone to just change it for another grindstone after 3 years are going to regret it 20 years from now. I saw how hard my parents had to work, and knew I would have to work even harder as first generation in college.

I can understand middle.class and working class kids who are under pressure to save money, but really don't understand UMC kids who don't have to worry so much.

Real UMC students cannot afford an expensive private school comfortably. The parents making $400k+ a year who saved, sure but that isn't most reality.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:School just isn’t fun anymore. It’s not about exploration or making friends. From one year before they start tracking math in your neighborhood, it’s about executive function and taking all the right classes. And it never ends. You might as well stop spending money and start making money, because you’re not having fun anyway.

+1

There isn’t a lot of room for creative exploration in school any more, either at the college or HS level. It is all about the grade grind. That makes it boring and if you are going to grind you might as well get money for it.

So true. Painfully so.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:myob? Maybe they have a good job already lined up? Maybe they want to leave the college years behind and start working?

My super smart DC would rather work than go to school, but they know they need a college degree. They can graduate early with all the AP credits, but they will probably do a +1 masters, so they will probably graduate with a masters and maybe double major in 4 years.

Has she ever been in the working world??

College are the best years and I can't imagine wanting to wish through them. There not anything better waiting on the other side!

I say this as someone who's been pretty happy with my career even.

Not for all. Some people don’t enjoy school. I wanted to get through college as quick as possible. I ended up taking 4.5 years because of switching majors and an internship but I was so much happier in my 20s when I was done. My first couple of jobs did not pay a lot but I was making money. My twenties were filled with fun and I could afford it.

[Anonymous]

I finished college in 3 years and doing that has one of my bigger regrets in life. College was a pretty magical time and i have had the rest of my life to work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To take some gap years.

B.S. It's to both save money and start life. It's called opportunity cost. Google it. It's silly to piss away a year of life "taking courses". The magical part of undergrad is that first year and second. After that, mature students are eager to move on. Finish as quickly as you can and either jump into a career or head to medical or law school, so you can quickly finish that and make some real money.

The ones I know doing this have extraordinary credentials and want to attend grad school

Umm... yeah... that means they are starting grad school a year earlier and will finish grad school a year earlier...thus, starting their professional life a year earlier. And will in theory likely marry and have a child a year sooner. Old farts needs to stop romanticizing being pot smoking loafers in a college town for a year at age 21-22, like that in any way helps you. The world moves FAST now, so surprise overachieving kids are reacting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To take some gap years.

B.S. It's to both save money and start life. It's called opportunity cost. Google it. It's silly to piss away a year of life "taking courses". The magical part of undergrad is that first year and second. After that, mature students are eager to move on. Finish as quickly as you can and either jump into a career or head to medical or law school, so you can quickly finish that and make some real money.

The ones I know doing this have extraordinary credentials and want to attend grad school

Umm... yeah... that means they are starting grad school a year earlier and will finish grad school a year earlier...thus, starting their professional life a year earlier. And will in theory likely marry and have a child a year sooner. Old farts needs to stop romanticizing being pot smoking loafers in a college town for a year at age 21-22, like that in any way helps you. The world moves FAST now, so surprise overachieving kids are reacting.

Is that you brunch granny?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:School just isn’t fun anymore. It’s not about exploration or making friends. From one year before they start tracking math in your neighborhood, it’s about executive function and taking all the right classes. And it never ends. You might as well stop spending money and start making money, because you’re not having fun anyway.

+1

There isn’t a lot of room for creative exploration in school any more, either at the college or HS level. It is all about the grade grind. That makes it boring and if you are going to grind you might as well get money for it.

Are the kids happier once they start working?

Yes. Working 9-5 with no homework is 100% better

I thought 8-5 work was awful compared to college.

Well for one, jobs are a grind anymore. Everyone has cushy remote/hybrid laptop jobs. Two, you don't lose all your friends and move to Albuquerque after graduation. All these kids either live in the same handful of cities and/or take frequent trips together and never lose touch with one another. And well over 50% of overachieving kids at some point go get a grad/professional school, so why not jump straight into law or medical school. Or enter the workforce asap, so you can get the 2-3 years you need until you can go to a half-decent MBA program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To take some gap years.

B.S. It's to both save money and start life. It's called opportunity cost. Google it. It's silly to piss away a year of life "taking courses". The magical part of undergrad is that first year and second. After that, mature students are eager to move on. Finish as quickly as you can and either jump into a career or head to medical or law school, so you can quickly finish that and make some real money.

The ones I know doing this have extraordinary credentials and want to attend grad school

Umm... yeah... that means they are starting grad school a year earlier and will finish grad school a year earlier...thus, starting their professional life a year earlier. And will in theory likely marry and have a child a year sooner. Old farts needs to stop romanticizing being pot smoking loafers in a college town for a year at age 21-22, like that in any way helps you. The world moves FAST now, so surprise overachieving kids are reacting.

+1. I know a gifted young man who had 64 credits under his belt (governors schools and non-degree student college credits) so entered UVA a sophomore on scholarship (and GI Bill -before you say it, it does still exist for the young of those who served in desert storm); finished in three years and got a masters in the Batten school; two years working in a law firm making $ and applying to law schools; got a full ride; just made law review. He will graduate law school debt free

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To take some gap years.

B.S. It's to both save money and start life. It's called opportunity cost. Google it. It's silly to piss away a year of life "taking courses". The magical part of undergrad is that first year and second. After that, mature students are eager to move on. Finish as quickly as you can and either jump into a career or head to medical or law school, so you can quickly finish that and make some real money.

The ones I know doing this have extraordinary credentials and want to attend grad school

Umm... yeah... that means they are starting grad school a year earlier and will finish grad school a year earlier...thus, starting their professional life a year earlier. And will in theory likely marry and have a child a year sooner. Old farts needs to stop romanticizing being pot smoking loafers in a college town for a year at age 21-22, like that in any way helps you. The world moves FAST now, so surprise overachieving kids are reacting.

Go. Away.

[Anonymous]

^ it’s a military scholarship for children if those who were in active duty during the Gulf War

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To take some gap years.

B.S. It's to both save money and start life. It's called opportunity cost. Google it. It's silly to piss away a year of life "taking courses". The magical part of undergrad is that first year and second. After that, mature students are eager to move on. Finish as quickly as you can and either jump into a career or head to medical or law school, so you can quickly finish that and make some real money.

The ones I know doing this have extraordinary credentials and want to attend grad school

Umm... yeah... that means they are starting grad school a year earlier and will finish grad school a year earlier...thus, starting their professional life a year earlier. And will in theory likely marry and have a child a year sooner. Old farts needs to stop romanticizing being pot smoking loafers in a college town for a year at age 21-22, like that in any way helps you. The world moves FAST now, so surprise overachieving kids are reacting.

Is that you brunch granny?

You're projecting. Go take your cats for a walk.

[Anonymous]

Alot of the top tier private colleges/universities are limiting the number of credits you can transfer from DE/AP. Assume it's a combination of not thinking they are the equivalent of their entry level courses + they don't want to lose the tuition money. They do allow "placing out" of classes with some that they do not grant grad credit for. I'm annoyed as my DC is graduating HS with alot of AP/college credits and cannot use them. I will encourage DC to graduate a semester early with credits he can use (capped at 4 courses), however, only to save tuition costs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Seeing/hearing from neighbors, acquaintances & relatives that their 2024 kids are graduating next month instead. WHY? You’re only young once! It’s crazy to me. There’s no way this is a money thing. It’s so sad. And these kids probably stifled their professional prospects due to not having time to do multiple internships. Why such a rush to grow up?

I did, and 20 years later no regrets! I had 2 very solid internships the 2 summers I was in the college, then I worked for 2 years at a prestigious firm, then got my master's by the time I was 24. Everything worked out fine. But thank you for your condolences!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Alot of the top tier private colleges/universities are limiting the number of credits you can transfer from DE/AP. Assume it's a combination of not thinking they are the equivalent of their entry level courses + they don't want to lose the tuition money. They do allow "placing out" of classes with some that they do not grant grad credit for. I'm annoyed as my DC is graduating HS with alot of AP/college credits and cannot use them. I will encourage DC to graduate a semester early with credits he can use (capped at 4 courses), however, only to save tuition costs.

People should research colleges based on their AP/DE/IB and yes, CLEP acceptance policies before accepting an admissions offer if that is important to them.