When I was a kid I knew a lot of other kids in some sort of "advanced math" track. I was going to math camps, attending the international math olympiad, that sort of thing, so I met a lot of others in a similar situation. One kid was enrolled in college at 13, and some others were in a similar situation. Whereas another cohort of kids basically just cruised through or skipped their high school math classes, learned advanced math quasi-independently in parallel, and stayed socially integrated with their classmates.
I don't know so much about electrical engineering, which is the subject in this article. But for mathematics, I don't think it's a great idea to advance to college super early.
One big problem with the plan, which a lot of people don't realize, is that your typical university math degree isn't that much more challenging than doing well in high school math. The people who went, for example, to Ohio State University while they were young, and took their undergrad math classes, generally didn't describe them as very intellectually interesting.
You also just miss the social interactions of having a peer group near your own age. But I think those are more apparent to people. The problem is that you think you're exchanging some social interaction for a great intellectual experience, and then you don't even really get a great intellectual experience.
My recommendation to kids who are great at math and thinking about taking college classes is, don't. If the math classes at your high school are too easy, ask your teachers if you can skip straight to the AP exam. In my experience, teachers who are hesitant to break the rules of the system are more willing to believe the "proof" of an AP exam, and a smart kid can ace an AP exam in a subject they know nothing about with a little bit of cramming.
It's better to wait and go to a top-tier school rather than to start college super early at a medium-tier school.
For math specifically, you can usually just start taking graduate math courses during your freshman year at university. That way, you get the intellectual stimulation of grad school, but the social stimulation of an undergrad program. And if you change your mind and decide you want a career in something other than mathematics, you have plenty of time.
I don't know so much about electrical engineering, which is the subject in this article. But for mathematics, I don't think it's a great idea to advance to college super early.
One big problem with the plan, which a lot of people don't realize, is that your typical university math degree isn't that much more challenging than doing well in high school math. The people who went, for example, to Ohio State University while they were young, and took their undergrad math classes, generally didn't describe them as very intellectually interesting.
You also just miss the social interactions of having a peer group near your own age. But I think those are more apparent to people. The problem is that you think you're exchanging some social interaction for a great intellectual experience, and then you don't even really get a great intellectual experience.
My recommendation to kids who are great at math and thinking about taking college classes is, don't. If the math classes at your high school are too easy, ask your teachers if you can skip straight to the AP exam. In my experience, teachers who are hesitant to break the rules of the system are more willing to believe the "proof" of an AP exam, and a smart kid can ace an AP exam in a subject they know nothing about with a little bit of cramming.
It's better to wait and go to a top-tier school rather than to start college super early at a medium-tier school.
For math specifically, you can usually just start taking graduate math courses during your freshman year at university. That way, you get the intellectual stimulation of grad school, but the social stimulation of an undergrad program. And if you change your mind and decide you want a career in something other than mathematics, you have plenty of time.