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Re:Drop out nation: Has the GED done more harm than good? by ComputerGuru on Friday July 09, 2010 @04:17AM (#1500121)
I took the GED to officially "graduate" after finishing 10th grade. I'd already aced the PSAT, ACT, and SATs, taken 2 APs, and a boatload of 11th and 12th grade math/science subjects. The GED let me start university 2 years early, and finish a 5 year engineering program a year before my classmates graduated from their 4 year educations.

Thank you, GED.

Re:Drop out nation: Has the GED done more harm than good? by orborde on Friday July 09, 2010 @09:58AM (#1500594)
You are very different from the bulk of GED takers, and thus your experience isn't really helpful as a basis of comparison.
Re:Drop out nation: Has the GED done more harm than good? by pwhelan on Friday July 09, 2010 @12:33PM (#1501165)
On the other hand... anecdote != data.

That you were allowed to take APs early in your high school career is rare. That you were allowed to take higher level math/science is rare. That a university accepted a 16(?) year old student is also rare.

The argument isn't that it has no benefits. The argument is that it fails the people it was designed to help. Considering the trend is that most drop outs come from disadvantaged backgrounds and tend to have less beneficially involved parents, it seems your case is irrelevant entirely.

Also, I believe that education should mirror yours in more ways, where intelligent students can progress forward at rates that reflect their changing status rather than an inflexible system.

Re:Drop out nation: Has the GED done more harm than good? by hack_edu on Friday July 09, 2010 @11:40AM (#1500978)
As someone who did something similar, graduating after 11th grade with all high school credits and upper-tier university requirements achieved, I believe I had a better education than the GED-to-college crowd. You're the first actual GED success story I've heard of.

All in all, there's nothing like a four-year university experience. Especially if you're spending all your time grinding away with huge course loads. You're cheating yourself by rushing through college or being a junior transfer.

Re:Drop out nation: Has the GED done more harm than good? by ant5 on Friday July 09, 2010 @01:42PM (#1501475)
> I believe I had a better education than the GED-to-college crowd.

Of course you believe that. Most people tend to any ascribe success to the efficacy of their earlier life choices and hardships -- to believe you didn't select the best path would make you uncomfortable.

Nobody wants to think that their suffering through a particular choice was unnecessary to achieve their current standing.

> You're the first actual GED success story I've heard of.

When you've got government-run schools railroading every student into college, and few real options outside of that path except for the unusually non-conformant, then you're just not going to hear about many GED success stories.

> All in all, there's nothing like a four-year university experience.

That's what a lot of people who just concluded a 4-year university experience say. They very right, but they're hardly unbiased about just how valuable that unique experience is.

To admit that it may not have been necessary would be uncomfortable, especially if they're sitting on student loan debt to pay for it.

> You're cheating yourself by rushing through college or being a junior transfer.

I could also just easily say you're cheating yourself by waiting until you're 21-24 to get your career and life started.

Re:Drop out nation: Has the GED done more harm than good? by unwantedLetters on Friday July 09, 2010 @06:11AM (#1500248)
I'm sure the GED did some good for some people and that it has some purpose (the author addresses this as well by saying that passing the GED helps self esteem in inmates).

While I understand that you are simply stating your case, I don't understand how your case is relevant to the article. I'm obviously missing something, so it'd be great if you pointed out what I was missing.