Many students dream of completing their academics as soon as possible, but there needs to be more correct information on how to graduate high school early. Finishing the high school curriculum early requires planning and following a rigid process.
Being the brightest student in secondary school won’t be enough; you would additionally require a set of soft skills. You would be required to put in the hard work and stay focused throughout the journey. There might be a few instances where you would be required to miss out on extracurricular activities.
With that in mind, let’s begin with the journey on how to finish high school early.
How to Graduate High School Early? (All Possible Methods)
The process of graduating early from high school is not as streamlined as it looks. Many think scoring well is the only way to skip ahead of class, but that’s far from the truth.
There is no concrete process to avail your high school degree before the prescribed time, but these methods are some proven ways to shorten your 3–4 years of high school.
Online School
Anything is possible in the age of digitalization, and the internet is your greatest asset. You can avail yourself of various online high school programs that offer accelerated courses.
Through online schooling, you get ample time and access to educational resources from free online textbook sites. Also, you won’t get distracted from various extracurricular activities that are conducted in traditional schools.
This would give you more spare time. Furthermore, the pre-recorded lectures and 24×7 accessible materials make it easy for students to comprehend the course at their own pace.
Earning Credit
This concept is something that may not be validated everywhere but is mostly followed in the US. Each subject has a pre-defined credit score that students need to achieve to graduate from high school. In some states, the credit score is more flexible, but students should try to accumulate additional credits during middle school.
Find out how many credits are required for each subject and work hard to achieve those and complete your high school before.
Attending Extra or Summer Classes
This might be the toughest and most exhausting, but you’ll be able to grasp it better on your syllabus compared to others. While attending extra classes, you can clarify your doubts and get ahead with the concepts, allowing you to complete your course before time.
Moreover, attending summer classes allows you to pick flexible timing, which is a great way to complete your schooling at your own pace.
But you have to pay extra fees for it, but this will accumulate enough credit to pass out from high school early.
Homeschooling
Homeschooling is just like pursuing online high school but a bit more expensive. You would be required to pay a hefty amount for various tests and exams that are accredited by renowned institutes. In this method you won’t be required to go to school, all the reading materials and syllabus will be shared with you via mail. But the hectic task is finding a reputable high school that offers such a facility.
Necessary Support From School Management
Many schools may not allow you to give a flexible curriculum, which may hamper your goals and planning. Whether it’s related to academic help or early exam conduction, you would definitely need the necessary support from the management.
You can discuss your future planning and aspirations with them so they can provide more assistance to you. It would be better if your parents were also involved in it, as the school will likely take your concern more seriously.
Consider Proficiency Exam
Attending and clearing proficiency exams is a great way to get college credit and assist you in clearing high school earlier. A proficiency exam is considered a general aptitude test that lets you measure your existing knowledge in all subjects.
If you clear the College-Level Examination Program and Advanced Placement test, you’ll get credit for those classes. Additionally, the General Education Development test can be coined under it, which shows you have acquired the necessary knowledge and skills to clear your high school. This allows you for dual enrollment in both school and college.
But this process may not be validated in every region, so you would be required to do research or maybe ask a mentor or career counselor.
Usually, high school graduates are aged around 17-18 and as per the current process, you can graduate from high school as early as 16.
In many countries, there is a strict syllabus pattern and duration followed, so it won’t be feasible for some to complete high school early. To clarify the doubts and know whether your school offers a flexible duration program, reach out to the principal or higher authorities.
Also Read: Difference Between Undergraduate and Graduate Degrees That You Should Know
In What Ways Does Graduating a Year Early From High School Help?
What’s the craze among the students to complete high school early? Well, the answer to this is they get the opportunity to start their post-secondary education as soon as possible and navigate through various opportunities.
Compared to other students, you will have one year extra reserved for you to explore the landscape of various opportunities. As a student, the early high graduate lets you:
- Buy Some Time to Take Decisions: Life after school becomes quite dynamic as you are exposed to the real world, where you have to make choices on your own. By completing school early, you get some time to think about your choices and reflect on them.
- Start Earning: Once you get relief from school, you can start looking for internships and get on-field job experience. This will help you to build a prominent career and start earning in your teenage.
- Preparing for Entrance: So if you have an aspiration to study abroad and take admission in a prestigious university or college, taking early relaxation from high school becomes necessary. Several renowned institutions around the globe have lower acceptance rates and some also have difficult entrance exams. So those extra reserved years with you can be utilized for preparing for them.
- Pursuing Dreams or Passion: It’s quite understood keeping your legs on two different boats is difficult, especially during high school. If you are passionate about something whether it’s art, sports, skill, or singing, those reserved years could be used to delicately invest in them.
- Military Service: The military recruits cadets at a very young age approximately 20-21. Students wanting to serve their country may look forward to completing their high school diploma early and joining the military academy for further training.
The idea of completing high school early may seem an interesting and enthralling journey for some, but one shouldn’t follow the path without proper guidance. With careful weighing of pros and cons and evaluating your personal goal, then only you should decide your course of action.
Also Read: Chegg Books: Your Ultimate Guide to Buying, Renting, and Selling Textbooks
Pros and Cons of Graduating Early From High School
Graduating early from high school surely has its own benefits in terms of professional aspects and drawbacks too. By carefully assessing each of the points, you can make more conscious choices.
Pros
Everyone wants to get ahead in this competitive world, and above we have talked about the benefits briefly. Completing high school early is a great way to explore various fields and choose a path that aligns with your interests. Several other advantages include:
- If you are looking to have a long academic career where you want to complete a master’s and Ph.D. this would be really helpful to you.
- You might get into college with more confidence and take pride for completing high school early.
- You can use that extra remaining time to explore various career options and which degree aligns best with your future goal.
- This method is helpful for those students who want to get out of academics and pursue their career in vocational courses and develop their skills.
- Some students are not financially sound, and they have the pressure to start earning. So by finishing high school early and availing of accelerated courses, they can start making a living.
- Last but not least, your early high school diploma, accompanied by a strong recommendation letter, may be used as a highlight in your resume. It is something that your potential employer notices, but that doesn’t work every time. Not necessarily works everywhere.
Cons
One might fully be aware of the positives of completing high school early but often the price paid for it is neglected.
- The biggest drawback of putting in the work to achieve a high school degree early will require a lot of sacrifices. You would miss out on activities such as sports, proms, inter-school competitions, olympiads, and so on. This would affect your overall growth and hinder wholesome development.
- At such an early age, putting in such a high amount of work can lead to burnout and brain fog. Students may feel irritated and have anger issues after a while.
- Such a high amount of focus just to complete a high school degree may not be worth it, as your social life would be left behind.
- Most importantly, the pathway to finish high school doesn’t entirely assure success. Different schools around the world have distinct curriculum and in some schools, the credit system is not available.
- You would require strong guidance from your teachers, principal, and parents throughout your journey. However, in traditional schools, giving personalized attention is not feasible.
- The most ignored fact about completing high school early is you won’t get any additional benefits. The value of the degree would be the same as the completed in normal duration. It’s just that you’ll get an edge over other students to kick-start your career.
Many of you would agree the process of completing high school early is quite difficult to comprehend. This is another major drawback of pursuing early completion of high school, which could result in frustration and stress among teenagers.
Also Read: What Can You Do With a Business Administration Degree: 15 Best Career Opportunities
Final Words
Here’s a wrap on everything you need to know about how to graduate high school early. The process of early finishing school might be trickier and takes a lot of pain, but it’ll be worth it if you have your plans and goals in mind.
Moreover, make sure to discuss your plan with your school principal, teacher, or mentor so they can guide you accordingly. Many schools have different approaches toward credit systems and academics, so taking their advice is a must.
Read Next: How Long is a Semester in College Across the World?
FAQs
Ans: Usually, students around the globe graduate from high school at the age of 17-18, and the earliest possible age to complete high school is at the age of 16.
Ans: Many universities and colleges offer accelerated programs that let you complete your postsecondary education early.
Ans: Michael Kearney holds the Guinness World Record for youngest high school graduate at the age of 10 in 1994. Since then, the record hasn’t been broken and is most likely to remain so. Because the education system has changed a lot the minimum age of high school graduates can just be around 6.
Ans: Thailand’s school hours are the longest in the entire world, the duration is around 9.5 hours per day.