I was not mature enough to handle college efficiently until age 18, and while more academically advanced than most, think that academically it was good that I did not get accelerated. It did take me a while to adjust to HS because my elementary school did not prepare students as well as others in the district (e.g., they recommended to NO ONE take algebra in their freshman year because their students did not do well in it). I also started college thinking of being a math major, although it was until spring of my junior year when I officially abandoned that major - made easy to do when I took an econ class and knew I was in the right field.
My daughter is now in 7th grade and has been bored and under-challenged in math almost the entire school experience. In 6th grade she was in a supposedly 'most advanced of the normal math classes' (i.e., not in the accelerated class that was doing algebra). Finally, the last couple of sections they had pre-tests at the beginning and she tested out completely and they let her start on algebra on her own. She finished algebra over the summer and in now in the advanced math class, which is covering geometry now. So what is she going to do when she gets to HS; well she take algebra-trig in 8th grade and XXX? as a freshman and pre-calc/calc as a sophomore and then what for someone that is probably good in math but not a math major? It does seem that the geometry she now has is a bit easier than my 10th grade class, although the fellow students are a much better match for her. If she stops with math her sophomore year, she will get rusty in those tools by the time she really needs to use them in college and I do not think that she will be champing at the bit to go to college early.
My daughter is now in 7th grade and has been bored and under-challenged in math almost the entire school experience. In 6th grade she was in a supposedly 'most advanced of the normal math classes' (i.e., not in the accelerated class that was doing algebra). Finally, the last couple of sections they had pre-tests at the beginning and she tested out completely and they let her start on algebra on her own. She finished algebra over the summer and in now in the advanced math class, which is covering geometry now. So what is she going to do when she gets to HS; well she take algebra-trig in 8th grade and XXX? as a freshman and pre-calc/calc as a sophomore and then what for someone that is probably good in math but not a math major? It does seem that the geometry she now has is a bit easier than my 10th grade class, although the fellow students are a much better match for her. If she stops with math her sophomore year, she will get rusty in those tools by the time she really needs to use them in college and I do not think that she will be champing at the bit to go to college early.
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