Graduate early means you make money instead of paying college tuition and expenses. It’s win-win combination.

My DS graduated one year early from Southern California and saved me 85K+. I give him 50K graduation gift to see the world.

Another money-related issue is that 529s can now be converted to Roth IRAs for kids. OP, you say this can’t be about money, but I think it is in a thousand shades. People are looking for practical value and ROI.

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

Are they working for minimum wage? What high paying entry level jobs are 9 to 5 these days?

My son is working for $75,000. Entry level professionals are not working for minimum wage. You sound clueless.

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?

Because it's time to grow up. Have your own salary, own apartment, and a great time with your friends. Meet interesting people at work. Land the helicopter.

1) A lot of current college students didn’t get into the colleges they wanted, so it’s become a practical thing - get in and get out.
2) College costs a lot, but especially if you hoped to go in-state but got stuck with private or OOS.
3) Few people think about college as self-exploration anymore. It’s a professional boot camp measured by ROI.
4) Tech jobs have paid so well and have so easy to get, staying in school is a huge money waste.
5) If you want to pursue a graduate degree, save some time and money and get on with it.

Personally, I’m saddened by these trends. College has become another checkmark on the way to jobs and riches. I’m not sure how our society will eventually function without any interest in history, culture, or ethics. Most don’t want to consider the soft skills that actually make societies work. Sure, technology is great, but violence and wars, while fought with technology, have their source in human thoughts and emotions.

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

Are they working for minimum wage? What high paying entry level jobs are 9 to 5 these days?

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?

My sister graduated a semester early from swarthmore and started working a month after graduation at a faang company and was so much happier (though now she appreciates and likes swat, at the time she was always getting in trouble with admin over pot and not showing up to class)

She preferred earning money and being able to smoke weed any time she wanted.

I’m glad that she can function at such a high level in spite of smoking up all the time. That’s impressive.

Anonymous wrote:I think it's all about having enough credits to graduate. And many kids that I know chose to continue to take classes during the summer during covid. Nothing else to do really. Ofc this was only done by those who didn't mind the online aspect of the courses.

Anyway that what my kid did.

+1

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?

My sister graduated a semester early from swarthmore and started working a month after graduation at a faang company and was so much happier (though now she appreciates and likes swat, at the time she was always getting in trouble with admin over pot and not showing up to class)

She preferred earning money and being able to smoke weed any time she wanted.

I think it's all about having enough credits to graduate. And many kids that I know chose to continue to take classes during the summer during covid. Nothing else to do really. Ofc this was only done by those who didn't mind the online aspect of the courses.

Anyway that what my kid did.

Because of COVID my niece missed the first year of college because it was mainly online, then didn’t do a year long study abroad year because it wasn’t completely up and running due to COVID restrictions in that country, so she is graduating a year early instead and plans to backpack around Europe and go to Australia or New Zealand to work in a ski resort instead of paying fir another year of school. She feels like she missed out on the college experience.

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.

Paying shit ton of money for some fun and making friends sounds very weird in the first place

Yes, back in the day when college was fun it also cost a lot less.

This, it’s easier to justify fun when you’re paying 8k than when you’re paying 80k

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.

Paying shit ton of money for some fun and making friends sounds very weird in the first place

Yes, back in the day when college was fun it also cost a lot less.

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

PLUS making $$ to buy and do stuff you like