While graduating early can sound scary and almost impossible, it can be the perfect plan for some students. Sara Lucas is making this transformation work for herself, taking on the schedule of both a junior and a senior in a 9 period day.
When asked why she chose to graduate early, Sara explained that she feels like she is ready to go out into the world and move on from the high school lifestyle. She said, “I chose to graduate early because I feel that I am mature for my age and that I’m ready for college, work, and going out into this world.” In addition to feeling developed enough to graduate early, Sara has both the grades and the time management skills to handle her advanced schedule. “My schedule is pretty hectic sometimes; it’s a lot of homework. I try my best to plan everything out so I can spread out the work.”
Many of you who know Sara, see her as a free-spirited, caring individual. Her plans after high school prove no less than that. When asked what she had in mind after she would be graduating early, Sara shared “Next year I plan to take some classes at Suffolk and work as much as possible until January.” She continued, “In January I’ll be turning 18 and I’ll work on different farms through the program WWOOF. (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms) With this program I will be living with a family and working on their farm; in exchange for working on the farm, they will provide me with food and shelter.” The next year she plans to go away to college for Sustainable Agriculture.
Now many of you may be wondering, how exactly is it possible for a student to graduate a year early? Between the tight schedule and the small amount of time allotted for these classes and the other busy work you may be involved in, it really does seem impossible. Mrs. Minnear, a guidance counselor here at WHBHS helped explain how this is all achievable. In order to graduate early, students need to talk to their guidance counselor first and make sure they can fit the remainder of their graduation requirements into their schedule in 1 year. In addition to this, they also need to develop a specific plan or idea about why they want to graduate early and what they plan to do upon graduation and present it to Mr. Herr. Mrs. Minnear said “The students who have actually doubled up and graduated early are usually more mature and ready to move forward with their lives whether it is by starting college or by taking part in a gap year (volunteering or working somewhere in the world.)”
“Any student who is thinking about graduating early needs to weigh the pros and cons and really think about why this is so important to them; everyone is different,” Mrs. Minnear finished with. Sara shows a well example how graduating early is a good plan for her, and others of you may feel the same way when you reach 11th grade. So if you are considering it, hope this helps!
