Youngest kiddo you put in CC classes and how did you know

[BlsdMama]

you weren't crazy?

Kiddo #4 is *very* academic.  Schoolwork is effortless.  Debating whether or not to start her at the CC.  Iowa allows for dual enrollment and many CC classes are free.  We're thinking of starting light and interest led - Intermediate Spanish & Environmental Science.  However, I know better than most how important that college GPA is and I only want her going if she can pull As.  I have full confidence in her ability to do so - a little nervous about her anxiety over it though.  Her confidence in her abilities OFTEN doesn't match my confidence in her abilities and I want her to have a good year, not stressed.  However, that said, she worries about a lot regardless, it just seems to be her nature - handle it with ease and be certain she will fail.  I keep thinking this gentle introduction is probably a better plan than jumping in full-time.  All of my other three have started with classes in their senior (oldest) or junior (#2 and #3) years.  She will be a junior on paper, but IRL a sophomore.

ETA: I suggested a history course because reading/writing is easy for her.  She is *excited* about Spanish and says Env. Sci. sounds interesting.  This was an encouraging reaction.  When I suggested a history course, she just yowled, "Why?" rather painfully.

Edited May 3, 2019 by BlsdMama

[...................]

Well first, there's the issue of girls being ready to rebuff advances.  For all kids they also need to be ready to here some extremely foul language, see the occasional drug use on campus, overhear kids talk about their hangovers and party binges, be able to choose and find groups to work in for study / email buddies or be able to sit with a Veteran or mom who could be in their 20s or 30s and work with them in a professional manner, in group projects. ...you know all this but it's just a reminder...

My son was totally ready at 15. He had a social life at the robotics club at the high school and he also had a part time job and was swimming too.  He ended up dropping swimming and that did affect his social exposure to kids his own age...for the better in that case (kids he was grouped with were doing either coke or meth and he was tired of dealing with it all) ...but that leads me to my second point which is to make sure she has social time with kids her own age elsewhere and that this won't interfere.

My son was totally NOT a guy to stress or freak out which was a huge part of the reason I knew he WAS ready. In your case, that part would make me hesitate.

Other things that made me know he was ready was the ability to drive or take public transit, find his way around campus using a map without freaking out, use the technology interfaces such as canvas, and advocate for himself with people outside the home such as teachers, bosses at work, etc.

I've gone back and forth about my second kid so many times, but in the end decided she has a healthy and vibrant new situation at her co-op with good academics and teachers, and for now this is more important for her than Dual Enrolling.  She just seems to be one where she does well with keeping her in the usual age and situation for her age...

[Kassia]

My dd was 14 when she started.  We started with Spanish because she already knew the material well so we thought it would be a good way to introduce her to college classes without her having to struggle to learn the material.  She took four semesters of Spanish the first year (two in the summer, 1 in the fall, and 1 in the spring).  The following year - at 15 - she took two classes per semester.  She's 16 now and just finished her first year as a full-time DE student - she took 28 credits this year.  So far, she hasn't had any problems.  

[skimomma]

9 minutes ago, Calming Tea said:

Well first, there's the issue of girls being ready to rebuff advances.  For all kids they also need to be ready to here some extremely foul language, see the occasional drug use on campus, overhear kids talk about their hangovers and party binges, be able to choose and find groups to work in for study / email buddies or be able to sit with a Veteran or mom who could be in their 20s or 30s and work with them in a professional manner, in group projects. ...you know all this but it's just a reminder...

 

 

My work has me surrounded by college students all day and this is not my experience at all. I cannot recall hearing any extremely foul language on campus or in class.  Perhaps the occasional word/phrase here and there, but certainly not common or extreme and no more than what I encounter in the outside world.  Although, full discloser, foul language happens in my house and amongst my peer group on a regular basis so not something that would be a concern for me.  I have also, after working on a college campus for 13 years, have never seen open drug use.  Not once.  I have heard people discuss parties/hangovers, although not frequently.  Talk like that is usually reserved for private conversation with friends.  I would also not expect advances on campus or during class, although would discuss the possibility with any DE (or fully grown, for that matter) student if I felt they would be unprepared to handle it.

[...................]

2 hours ago, skimomma said:

 

My work has me surrounded by college students all day and this is not my experience at all. I cannot recall hearing any extremely foul language on campus or in class.  Perhaps the occasional word/phrase here and there, but certainly not common or extreme and no more than what I encounter in the outside world.  Although, full discloser, foul language happens in my house and amongst my peer group on a regular basis so not something that would be a concern for me.  I have also, after working on a college campus for 13 years, have never seen open drug use.  Not once.  I have heard people discuss parties/hangovers, although not frequently.  Talk like that is usually reserved for private conversation with friends.  I would also not expect advances on campus or during class, although would discuss the possibility with any DE (or fully grown, for that matter) student if I felt they would be unprepared to handle it.

 

Why the need to argue? No one ever said that every college is the same in regards to these things, or that it'll be around every single corner at every second.  But, sending a 14 or 15 year old to a college campus comes with it these possibilities... and they're all things I mentioned because they're all things that have happened during my son's time there! (with the exception of advances but that happened to a friend's daughter.)  

also ....we are talking about a homeschooler who may have more limited experience with how foul today's language is, at least around here...so even commonplace foul language by today's standards can be a bit of a culture shock at first.  Also, in the college my son goes to, which is one of the nicest in one of the nicest neighborhoods, in one of the most advanced CCs in our area....he and I both have seen open drug use on campus (But then again in CA since Prop 47 we also see open drug use on the corner of our very expensive middle class neighborhood so there's that.) 

I wish I lived in an area where I'd not be likely to see drug use in 13 years anywhere let alone a college campus.  

Clearly, YMMV OP but they're all things to consider. 🙂 

[Melissa B]

My eldest was 14 - a freshman, but she went to a university not a CC. She started with Latin I and Comp I.

My next three were or will be 16 - juniors, and all go to the local CC. My second started with one class the summer before junior year in order to get to know the campus and a feel for college classes, then went full time. That is the plan for the other two as well.

[The Governess]

Freshman. She was nervous at first but found that she enjoys it. It’s been a good fit for her socially and academically. She’s taken two semesters so far with two classes per semester, some core academics and some electives.  The only downsides have been occasional classes being cancelled without notice and one teacher that was so rigid on his assignment schedule that her grade was affected (assignments due every three days which was sometimes impossible due to her other classes/activities, and lots of work assigned over spring break).

[Matryoshka]

Mine was a hs freshman; she started just after turning 15.  She's finishing up with an AA this spring at 18 and transferring to the state flagship U.  I think she started off with two classes and ramped up bit by bit from there.

[chiguirre]

Another 15 yo. My dd started the summer after her freshman year with Comp 1 and Film Appreciation. She's taken one class each semester during the school year and will take 2 more this summer. Next year she'll have Calc 1 and Honors Geology at the CC and is planning to enroll full time her senior year.

[Roadrunner]

My friend’s daughter started as a freshman and reported a lots of foul language on campus, sexual content discussed in English classes....  really inappropriate situations she ran into on campus (she is stunningly pretty). I think it all depends on a school, but also here is more of this in large general Ed classes (?), maybe. Yet she shrugged it all off and did just fine. The problem they faced was grades. Some of the better classes with good professors were harder on grading, so often the decision was made to go with teachers known to give easy As. She joked all the teachers students loved because they were “fun” were jokingly easy to get grades. Despite everything it was a good decision for her.

For my kid we will do a very selective approach, going for just few things we can’t find online. But that’s because the quality I think isn’t always the best at CC given the student body (generally weak) and not because I am worried about what happens to him on campus. 

 

 

[Lawyer&Mom]

I took my best college class and my worst college class, in terms of content and vigor, DE at the same CC.  The first class was recommended by the college counselor, the second I just picked randomly based on schedules.  I would be choosy sending my kid to DE.  I would want something better than high school, and not just a chance for an easy college A.  That’s just not good preparation for reality at a selective college post-DE.

[JazzyMom]

My dd started CC this year, when she was 14.  She took 1 class per semester, comp 1 and 2. 

Next year, she’s planning on Spanish 1 and 2.  She’ll probably go up to 2 or 3 classes per semester junior year.

No problem making A’s so far.

[skimomma]

13 hours ago, Calming Tea said:

 

Why the need to argue? No one ever said that every college is the same in regards to these things, or that it'll be around every single corner at every second.  But, sending a 14 or 15 year old to a college campus comes with it these possibilities... and they're all things I mentioned because they're all things that have happened during my son's time there! (with the exception of advances but that happened to a friend's daughter.)  

also ....we are talking about a homeschooler who may have more limited experience with how foul today's language is, at least around here...so even commonplace foul language by today's standards can be a bit of a culture shock at first.  Also, in the college my son goes to, which is one of the nicest in one of the nicest neighborhoods, in one of the most advanced CCs in our area....he and I both have seen open drug use on campus (But then again in CA since Prop 47 we also see open drug use on the corner of our very expensive middle class neighborhood so there's that.) 

I wish I lived in an area where I'd not be likely to see drug use in 13 years anywhere let alone a college campus.  

Clearly, YMMV OP but they're all things to consider. 🙂 

 

Not arguing at all.  I believe these things can happen.  I just don't think they are a given on college campuses and IME are quite rare.  I don't think they are any more common on a college campus than in the general public.  If your teen is leaving the house without an adult, they should be prepared for all of those situations.  The OP has already had kids in DE so likely knows what she is getting into on that front.  I just didn't want anyone to come on here contemplating putting their first kid in DE and think they will see someone shooting up in their chemistry class.

I think your advice is wise in that any teen leaving the house should be prepared to see/handle all sorts of situations.  I just don't find them any more common on a college campus than anywhere else.  And college is meant for adults so yes, if you have a young teen attending a school targeted for adults, they should be prepared to hear adult words and discuss adult topics in classes.

 

[GoVanGogh]

We put our son in cc as a sophomore, age 15. We had planned to wait another year, but one of his outside teachers recommended a class she knew we were interested in. Her own children had started cc at 15 with this class and teacher. In the end, I think he could have started at age 14 and done well, but I am also content that we waited. 

He has now taken two years of de and done very well. This is my generally non-social child with a speech disorder (much better with extensive therapy) and a mild physical disability. He loves cc and the community there, and has really thrived and grown since starting there. It forced him out of his comfort zone, which he needed. 

He wasn’t sheltered prior, as we live in a large city and travel quite a bit. (And we had a drug house next door several years ago where a teenager died of an overdose.) He has seen and heard a lot growing up. I just asked him about language on his campus and he said he doesn’t hear much fowl language. He says he hears about parties but has never seen anyone doing anything illegal or dicey on campus. 

I will say - one of the first people he got to know on campus was an older lady that is a massage therapist. As he was talking about this lady, my momma bear radar went off. I was picturing a cougar... LOL 

[katilac]

5 hours ago, skimomma said:

I think your advice is wise in that any teen leaving the house should be prepared to see/handle all sorts of situations.  I just don't find them any more common on a college campus than anywhere else.  

 

I have definitely found that random guys chatting them up happens far more often on a college campus than anywhere else. 

[Pawz4me]

Youngest DS started an early college high school program when he was 14. He had no problems.

[melmichigan]

My last two started as 15 years old sophomores at the local CC. They are enrolled in the middle college program (so different than DE), and aside from a required class took electives. I wasn't worried about only A's because they are average students and these are classes I couldn't provide, like black and white photography with a development lab.  My older daughter just graduated from the program with her high school diploma (Mom issued) and three associates degrees last night. We haven't had any issues with peers or the environment.

Edited May 4, 2019 by melmichigan

[madteaparty]

12 yrs old at a 4 yr university but at most two classes a semester, usually just one. None of the negative things mentioned here have occurred to him or his two female friends who start full time at community college at age 12.

the negatives have been—some prof (just one thus far) who knows his age (even though we try not to share) and it results in unfair grading. I tell him he will receive several life lessons in shitty adult behavior and might as well start. Some risqué French movies in class, but these were part of the curriculum so we didn’t mind. 

The positives are very many. 

 

Edited May 4, 2019 by madteaparty

[historically accurate]

My oldest was 14, about a month-6 weeks shy of her 15th birthday. She started with one class - I and her little sisters hung out in the library or the student center. She didn't hang around campus at all that semester. She's finishing up her junior year this year, and all of her classes are DE. She's there pretty much from 9 am - 3 pm with an activity night or two. We have had very little problems. She did have a professor who wasn't happy with her age (which was weird because he had to approve her attendance since she was under 16), but it wasn't bad - just some subtle jabs during class. 

[G5052]

I've been a community college professor for 20+ years, and I always suggest a slow start for dual enrollment. Because it counts and because it's different, I suggest one class to start. Mine took a basic class in computer literacy because it's very black-and-white and is a skill-based course. A positive was that I taught that class for many years and could help them. It's a class that nearly every program requires.

From there of course you can branch out, but that's what I've always suggested. Starting with a lab class can be a bit tough, and of course you'll need placement for the Spanish class.

[MamaSprout]

We're starting at 14 this fall because that's the earliest our dual credit option will allow, although she met all the benchmarks at 11 or 12. They said she could take online classes before this, though. Her older sibs started at 15 and did pretty much full time after the first semester.

She is also starting with this school's version of computer literacy. I've already vetted the course and the professor with other local homeschoolers.

[easypeasy]

Wow, we're not allowed to start college classes before 16 here! I've known of one exception, and I'm still not quite clear on how she was allowed in. I know of several with qualifying ACT/SAT scores who weren't allowed to enroll. 😕

I drug my feet for the older two kids and one didn't do any dual enrollment at all (many regrets there), second didn't start until senior year (many, many regrets here... this kid could have accumulated a ton of hours if I'd have gotten around to getting her registered...). And, in DD2s case, they only allowed her to take 9 credit hours this semester, which was frustrating.

DS wants to start in the fall. He'll be 16, so our youngest by far. He's enrolling at a university, not a CC, due to the specific courses he will be taking there. I'm asking them about the possibility of him also being enrolled at the CC to knock out Comp I,II, and Government alongside the music classes at the uni. If that's allowed, then he'll do that as well (it's much cheaper at the CC). We go in next week for the appointment to get all this stuff sorted out. He'll still take science, Math, and Music Theory here at home (online classes for Math and Music Theory - at-home for science).

 

Edited May 6, 2019 by easypeasy

[madteaparty]

6 hours ago, easypeasy said:

Wow, we're not allowed to start college classes before 16 here! I've known of one exception, and I'm still not quite clear on how she was allowed in. I know of several with qualifying ACT/SAT scores who weren't allowed to enroll. 😕

I drug my feet for the older two kids and one didn't do any dual enrollment at all (many regrets there), second didn't start until senior year (many, many regrets here... this kid could have accumulated a ton of hours if I'd have gotten around to getting her registered...). And, in DD2s case, they only allowed her to take 9 credit hours this semester, which was frustrating.

DS wants to start in the fall. He'll be 16, so our youngest by far. He's enrolling at a university, not a CC, due to the specific courses he will be taking there. I'm asking them about the possibility of him also being enrolled at the CC to knock out Comp I,II, and Government alongside the music classes at the uni. If that's allowed, then he'll do that as well (it's much cheaper at the CC). We go in next week for the appointment to get all this stuff sorted out. He'll still take science, Math, and Music Theory here at home (online classes for Math and Music Theory - at-home for science).

 

I’m sure DS and his friends were not officially “allowed” either on our 4 year public uni. The CC on the other hand has a  full on early college program with accuplacer and all the jazz. The CC is also much much cheaper (like 10’times I want to say?) 

Certainly he didn’t do anything to “qualify” besides fill out a one page form and pay tuition. What I did is fill out the unmatriculated student form and emailed it to registrar. No one ever gave us any issues though i’m sure no one noticed the age 😉 I’m pretty sure DS and a couple other homeschoolers were the first young kids on campus, so maybe we inadvertently blazed a trail? DS won’t matriculate there and has about reached the most credits they will let one take as an unmatriculated student, but his friend is graduating next week at 17 ❤️. 

Edited May 6, 2019 by madteaparty

[MamaSprout]

On 5/6/2019 at 7:42 AM, madteaparty said:

I’m sure DS and his friends were not officially “allowed” either on our 4 year public uni. The CC on the other hand has a  full on early college program with accuplacer and all the jazz. The CC is also much much cheaper (like 10’times I want to say?) 

Certainly he didn’t do anything to “qualify” besides fill out a one page form and pay tuition. What I did is fill out the unmatriculated student form and emailed it to registrar. No one ever gave us any issues though i’m sure no one noticed the age 😉 I’m pretty sure DS and a couple other homeschoolers were the first young kids on campus, so maybe we inadvertently blazed a trail? DS won’t matriculate there and has about reached the most credits they will let one take as an unmatriculated student, but his friend is graduating next week at 17 ❤️. 

I think we sort of did this with our older kids. They changed the rules about how many classes high school students can take after ours graduated. We're in an area with almost no AP options, so high school students on campus are very common.

Edited May 8, 2019 by MamaSprout

[historically accurate]

8 hours ago, easypeasy said:

Wow, we're not allowed to start college classes before 16 here! I've known of one exception, and I'm still not quite clear on how she was allowed in. I know of several with qualifying ACT/SAT scores who weren't allowed to enroll. 😕

I drug my feet for the older two kids and one didn't do any dual enrollment at all (many regrets there), second didn't start until senior year (many, many regrets here... this kid could have accumulated a ton of hours if I'd have gotten around to getting her registered...). And, in DD2s case, they only allowed her to take 9 credit hours this semester, which was frustrating.

DS wants to start in the fall. He'll be 16, so our youngest by far. He's enrolling at a university, not a CC, due to the specific courses he will be taking there. I'm asking them about the possibility of him also being enrolled at the CC to knock out Comp I,II, and Government alongside the music classes at the uni. If that's allowed, then he'll do that as well (it's much cheaper at the CC). We go in next week for the appointment to get all this stuff sorted out. He'll still take science, Math, and Music Theory here at home (online classes for Math and Music Theory - at-home for science).

 

Dd's school's rule on age is anyone can enter who can pass the Accuplacer, but under 16 has a few extra rules. If under 16, student must: 

1) pass ALL sections of the Accuplacer (eg: cannot place into any remedial classes.) If they do place into remedial, they must take those classes at their school before matriculating. If the student is over 16, they just start where they start, remedial or not.

2) provide 2 letters of recommendation, not from family members. DD provided 1 from a co-op teacher, and one from a sign language teacher.

3) get pre-approval from all professors before being allowed in the class. (The school actually does this bit. DD signed up, and the Running Start (high school) office went to the professor before final approval). 

Note: we don't have free or discounted DE in this area, so as long as you can pay, the cc is pretty happy to have you. They don't limit how many hours you take either, although DD can get guidance counseling through the Running Start office so they probably discuss it. She's never availed herself of it, as she and I hammer it out, and she has a computer science professor who sits down with her if she has questions. 

Edited May 6, 2019 by beckyjo

[Melissa B]

2 hours ago, MamaSprout said:

I think we sort of did this with our older kids. They changed the rules about how many classes high school students can take after ours graduated. We're in an area with almost no AP options, so high school students on campus is very common.

 

I think this was us as well. My eldest started at the local university at 14 because there really weren't any solid rules in place. She passed the DE entrance exam without any trouble. She graduated high school with 117 college credit hours. Her senior year of high school the university changed its requirements. Now you have to be a junior and can only take two classes per semester. DE is free here, so I think they may have been unhappy with the amount of free schooling she received. 🙂

[Guest]

DD walked in at age 11 with a homemade transcript and her ACT scores, and asked how to apply since her birthdate kept getting kicked out by the computer. After their initial shock, they realized she was serious, and admissions helped her to apply. It took several meetings, but she started classes the next semester, just past her 12th birthday. Before that, their youngest student had been 15 (DE is only paid for juniors and seniors in high school, and grade skipping is almost unknown here, so there aren’t a lot of people who even consider it). It was an act of desperation-she had just been turned down by the Jr/Sr high program that had seemed that it might meet her needs as “not the optimal academic fit” (which, in retrospect, they were right-she was ready for more independence and autonomy than they were prepared to offer, and needed more specialized courses). The local high schools weren’t able to be flexible enough for her, and she wanted more than online classes. She needed the group of people to bounce ideas off of and academics for social reasons. 

I do pay full tuition for her, but honestly, the cost for a 3 credit hour college class is less than a high school class at the local tutorial, or a decent online class. 

She has thrived. Initially, it was really obvious that she was young, and she quickly became a campus celebrity. There was an aura of “you’re really smart, and you go to school here. That means I’m smart, too!” That first semester, I stayed on campus while she was in class, and I soon realized that a lot of people were watching out for her. Indeed, she had more support (In the nature of “I’ll walk with you to the library to meet your mom”) than she wanted or needed. In the classroom, she fit in and was popular in study groups. In fact, one of my favorite texts was “I’m going to be late-Jaz needs help with factoring”. One of her classmates had asked DD if she could help her with her teen daughter’s high school math homework so she could then help her daughter. 

In the 2nd year, she became more accepted as just being her, and by now, she’s just another student in a lot of ways. She has now finished 36 credit hours with a 4.0, has a circle of friends, mostly non-traditional students, and just plain belongs there. She has her own smaller circle of friends her age outside of campus. Now that she looks more typical age (at 14, it is sometimes hard for me to recognize her from a distance, because there are a decent number of petite brunettes on her campus) she’s gotten good at causally mentioning her age or that she is a DE student when someone seems like they might be trying to pick her up. 

She started with a “Mathematics for Elementary Teachers” class. The math was all review, and I figured elementary teacher candidates would be nice to the little kid, since by age she could still have been in elementary school at the time. The following year, she took Spanish, Math, English and psychology, and loved them all. This year, she took history, statistics, sociology, and English. She has taken 2-3 classes most semesters. (She takes science outside the college-she has extremely good mentors so can take classes that are at a higher level and more specialized than she could take at the CC). 

It was definitely the best choice for her of the options we had available to us at the time. Her plan now is to graduate high school at 16, with several years of transferable credit, plus having taken a lot of classes that might not fit into her degree program, but are interesting. This summer, she is taking European history and Cultural Anthropology at a 4 year state flagship. She will likely take the 12 credits of DE at one of the private universities locally as a senior. 

One downsode-last year on her cheer team, there was a lot of talk about boyfriends. It definitely does put a crimp in early teen “romance” when they are full aware that it is illegal for any of their classmates to date them. I don’t think it bothered DD until she started to get the comments that indicated there was something wrong with her for not having a SO. She handles guys (or girls) chatting her up on campus fine, but is starting to want to meet someone she can reciprocate with. 

Edited May 6, 2019 by dmmetler

[Penelope]

This is going to vary because some areas will have rigorous cc classes available while in others, many classes will be a complete joke and easier than middle of the road college-prep high school classes. 

It could be the same even with DE at a four-year school. Some schools have higher expectations and higher admissions standards than others.

[G5052]

16 hours ago, easypeasy said:

Wow, we're not allowed to start college classes before 16 here! I've known of one exception, and I'm still not quite clear on how she was allowed in. I know of several with qualifying ACT/SAT scores who weren't allowed to enroll. 😕

 

Yes, it was open door here at first, but about four years ago they said that you had to be 16 when you started and that you could only take two classes from a list of courses your first semester. Then they relaxed it and now require a dean's signature for each class if you are younger. All dual enrollment students have to register with a counsellor. It's always been that way though.

So some oversight but more flexibility. 

Thankfully our community college is very tied into good transfer schools, and the quality is nearly always excellent. Both of mine felt like their classes were challenging and meaningful. 

[madteaparty]

On 5/6/2019 at 11:53 AM, Penelope said:

This is going to vary because some areas will have rigorous cc classes available while in others, many classes will be a complete joke and easier than middle of the road college-prep high school classes. 

It could be the same even with DE at a four-year school. Some schools have higher expectations and higher admissions standards than others.

This is true. Some of my DS’s online classes meant for high schoolers are harder than his university class. And sometimes things can really be done better at home. From where I stand, there are many benefits to dabbling in early college classes, but academic rigor across the board has not been one of them, for the most part. 

Edited May 7, 2019 by madteaparty

[Reefgazer]

On ‎5‎/‎3‎/‎2019 at 4:02 PM, skimomma said:

 

My work has me surrounded by college students all day and this is not my experience at all. I cannot recall hearing any extremely foul language on campus or in class.  Perhaps the occasional word/phrase here and there, but certainly not common or extreme and no more than what I encounter in the outside world.  Although, full discloser, foul language happens in my house and amongst my peer group on a regular basis so not something that would be a concern for me.  I have also, after working on a college campus for 13 years, have never seen open drug use.  Not once.  I have heard people discuss parties/hangovers, although not frequently.  Talk like that is usually reserved for private conversation with friends.  I would also not expect advances on campus or during class, although would discuss the possibility with any DE (or fully grown, for that matter) student if I felt they would be unprepared to handle it.

Not trying to be contrary, either, but we had DD at a large 4 year uni in a major US city at 15 and she did not see drug use on campus, foul language in class, or any other behavior you would characterize as "extreme".  It may be because she took a night class, but most of her classmates were adults who worked all day and were taking part-time school at night and more interested in learning than partying.  

 

At any rate, we knew she was ready when she was able to handle her coursework with minimal guidance from me , and when she could reason out the best course of action in an academic subject, and was willing to interact with the instructor on her won behalf and without my direct assistance.

Edited May 8, 2019 by Reefgazer

[SeaConquest]

I just spent the past two years completing pre-reqs for nursing school at community colleges around San Diego (as well as at SD State) and I never saw drug use around campus or heard foul language/sexual harassment in class. Cannabis is legal in CA, and it is much more common to see drug use just casually around town than it is around campus (usually, people use cannabis vape pens that look just like cigarette vapes), in my experience. I did encounter rampant cheating at SDSU, where the competition in anatomy and physiology was fierce (it is a weeder class for pre-nursing/pre-med/pre-pharm/pre-PA). That was something I had never experienced before in my academic career, and was quite shocking to me.

If my oldest DS stays on his current trajectory, he is likely to start CC classes in science and computer programming when he is in 7th grade, which would make him 12/13. But, we will have to really assess if he is ready (both academically and executive functioning-wise) at that time. He has a 504 plan, which I am hoping will help with some of the issues he might face with his ADHD/EF issues. I don't think he would have any problems being around older students, or being the youngest -- none of that is an issue for him. Since I am a full-time student, we've already been practicing taking public transit/Uber/bikes with apps, looking at class schedules, learning to use Rate my Professor, going to the bookstore, getting around campus to find classes, using online platforms for assignments, etc. He has had a cell phone and has been taking online classes for many years, so I think that has helped him to become more independent already.

 

[SkateLeft]

My oldest started at full-time dual enrollment at 14. I graduated her at 16, and she went off to university out of state. She'd been taken summer high school classes on the local state university campus since she was 10. 

She was very ready, academically and socially. She was academic, self-disciplined, and she had great time management skills. The CC was the perfect stepping stone between homeschooling and college for a kid that was ready for more. After two years, she had 60 semester units and a 4.0 GPA and was ready to go off to university. I will say that I don't think she's exceptionally gifted. She's just a very driven, serious, hard working kid. She worked HARD for those grades. 

The one place where we really saw the effects of her age was her struggles to handle stress. When multiple deadlines piled on top of her, she tended to lose weight, not eat enough, not sleep enough and would just get run down and sick. I wish we'd spent a more time teaching her positive ways of managing stress. It took her a few years to really learn to manage it on her own. So my advice is that if you send a kid off to college young, make sure that they're not just ready socially and academically, but that they have the ability to handle stressful situations also.