Should I graduate early? (3 years of high school)?

Question

I am in the eighth grade and we are filling out our schedules for high school in 2 days. I have the option for graduating from high school during junior year but I don't know if I should. My parents said I could and two of my friends are but everyone else says that I will miss out on the fun senior things like prom. I want to become a Veterinarian but I am not sure if I am ready to be 16 and in college. I am 14 and that is only two years away! the high school says that it is not reccommended to graduate early because that is mainly for people who have issues with their families, are pregnant, failing and stuff like that but I am not any of those. Help what should I choose? Please list advantages and disadvantages.

Answer 1

Wish I had finished high school earlier. Senior yr was fun, but it wasn't all that great. When I was 25, I was really TIRED of school and impatient to start real life as a vet. School gets old really quickly.

On the other hand, you need to realize that you need to apply yourself really really well and have an excellent GPA to be considered at any vet school. It is extremely competitive, way more than med school. I had a few classmates that applied to both vet school and med school: some were accepted to both, some were accepted to med school only, nobody got accepted to vet school only! Again, only you know if you have the maturity to apply yourself really well in undergrad. Many students are in college and are 16, but these students are mature and apply themselves very well.

Your GPA in high school has no relevance when applying to vet school.

You can go to a vet clinic, tell them you are interested in becoming a vet and ask them if you could shadow the dr. or volunteer. Experience in a clinic does have relevance and helps when applying to vet school.

Only you know if you care about missing out in your sr yr or not.

Things to consider for becoming a vet:
4 yrs of undergrad: preferably animal science major or biology. Animal sci gives you a better background and hands on in handling animals, but not all universities offer it, so biology is the best second choice.

3 years of pre-clinical classes: all the theory behind it: anatomy, physiology, pathology, medicine classes, etc...

1 yr of clinical school: where you actually work as a vet under the guidance of a licensed veterinarian.

This will give u the DVM and you can work as a general practitioner. If you want to specialize (ie. exotics, surgery, pathology, internal medicine, etc) you need to make an extra year of internship. Like the clinical school, but you have more responsibilities than the vet students. Then you have anywhere from 2-5 yrs of residency to become board certified in the area you want to specialize.

Is a lot of schooling. My opinion, the sooner the better... that way you can actually start enjoying your life soon! and those students that are senior vet students and 1-2 yrs younger than the rest of us seem to have a blast bragging about it.... at least, they annoyed me and I envied them :-)

Answer 2

While it might sound like a good idea to graduate early now, I think you might regret in the future. A close friend of mine graduate after the first semester of her junior year. Throughout much of of junior high and high school she was always in a rush to grow up. She is now 19 years old and getting ready to graduate from college (two years earlier than me). I've been talking to her, and it seems like she is starting to regret rushing through her teen years and not taking time to enjoy that time in her life. As a sophomore in college, I can tell you that the high school years go by much too fast. You need to enjoy every minute of them. With that being said, I don't think you should graduate early. Trust me, you don't want to start college any earlier than you have to. Enjoy high school, it only comes around once.

P.S. If for some reason you are really anxious to get into college, during your senior year you could take a couple classes at your local community college and still attend high school part of the time with your friends.

Answer 3

I think you are quite mature to try and identify the advantages and disadvantages of graduating early. You are correct in missing out on the fun of your senior year. You would also have to think about the adjustment factor of going to college with students 1 to 6 years older than you. Are you ready to deal with some financial responsibility as well?

The pluses are that you will graduate college early....and start on the career of your choice with room for change or graduate school and still be really young.

Basically, you need to decide if you are ready to grow up yet. That's it. I'd say enjoy it while it last, cause you can never get it back.

Answer 4

I hated high school, but the best year was my senior year. Plus I was 18 when I left home and went to college. I had an apartment with a friend, was working and going to school full time and it was REALLY hard. I barley made it. I'm glad I was 18 I can't imagine have to experience that at an earlier age. So I guess I'm telling you not to graduate early.

Answer 5

Well I graduated last year and at first I felt that my senior year was useless and that i should have came out early, but as the year go on, you will have fun, your senior year in high school is one to remember and like you said you don't want to be 16 and in college, you should have fun and enjoy yourself, I'm in college now and it is a lot harder than high school, if I could repeat my senior year I would.Good Luck

Answer 6

It is really a hard choice.. I graduated a year early... back in the day and it was great to be out of high school but I didnt stay focused enought to continue on to college..Now, looking back, I would give anything for that extra year of school... Highscool will be the best years of your life, stay as long as you can I say, enjoy your frineds... when college comes, youll have plenty of time to focus on your dreams.. good luck sweetie!

Answer 7

Is there really that much fun in senior year??I would have skipped mine if I could. I say finish early and get a head start on your vet degree. I think you would have more fun graduating early from college and starting out on your own with more indedpendence. You sound like a smart kid:)

Answer 8

give yourself time to be a kid. you can take AP classes to get college credit, have a part time job to save money, take an easy class schedule, have fun, etc in your last year. Trust me, when you are finally done with school you will miss the freedom it provided! take your time. work hard, and have fun. and being in college and being the young one can be hard. there's a big age gap right around then. good luck!

Answer 9

I skipped my senior year. HIgh school was one long period of unmitigated boredom as far as I was concerned, and I couldn't wait to get to college. (Where I goofed off enough that it took me five years to finish.) But if you're enjoying school for whatever reason, give yourself the extra year.

Answer 10

I wouldn't, but you don't have to make that decision yet. I had a blow-off senior year, and had a lot of fun.