Reflecting a bit on my education, I want to discuss placement tests. Taking college placement tests was very important for me in highschool, to be able to attain college minors whilst in highschool. There were possibilities of taking upper level math classes in the ninth grade. Technically, you can place into graduate level math classes in highschool and that is perfectly okay. Playing the violin from a young age, and studying extra material at home with private tutors, put me at an advantage to my peers by the ninth grade where I needed more. There was kinda a necessity to start taking college level classes for me, and playing my violin with adults by a certain age was appropriate. I never had foreseen struggling with my health during certain years in adolescence, but that changed the idea of me going to school outside of my area. During stay away college, a lot of my peers told me I did not miss out on going away for school any earlier, so learning that they felt I did not miss out made me feel better because it always bothered me. A lot of my friends were really jealous of my mom actually, they wish they lived at home with my mom for highschool even while doing college classes early like me. Health obstacles really threw off the plan, so I took what I could get so to speak, making the most of it all in the particular situation. There can be a difference between being really smart and having a certain degree type, it’s important to be open minded about ways intelligence can be displayed.
Socially, it did make sense to take college on the side of going to highschool and being involved with sports in my age bracket. Honestly, now I feel like everything evens out in life, but you are in the driver’s seat of your education and it is important to be in the right place. I have felt like I was sitting in baby math classes, and belonged somewhere else, or like I needed to be in a more advanced orchestra. However, socially I think that sitting through more casual check marks is important. In the more advanced competitive things, it is hard to make friends because everyone wants each others spot, but if you take your level down a notch you can make friends and feel more appreciated. As the result of competitiveness, I love how my aunt takes her students to the side individually to make a music video of their major solo in violin or viola or cello, all of them can play it very well and have a noncompetitive platform for everyone to enjoy.
So, overall I have learned there is no rush and everything evens out. At the same time, I have felt like nothing has changed in my ability in doing a certain level of math or playing a certain classical piece well, perhaps you do things when you do them. Sometimes, when I look back at highschool I feel like ‘yes, I could have just been in college the entire time’ but I appreciate having social skills from being with peers in music and sports. In the workplace, even if you are finished with all the degrees younger, everyone in the office wants you to be older anyway. I do believe some people really should just place into the upper level classes and take off with it in their earlier teens, but I balanced that idea with the normal standard of education. If you feel like you are really not in the correct class and need to take it up a notch, I think that it is a move you deserve to make, because you should never feel less and be somewhere there is no room to excel or no one is being serious when you need to have seriousness three notches up. There are times to sit through situations where you could place into a higher course, but then there are other times you clearly belong in another area, it can be a comedy finding the right place. It is important to do what is right for you. Whenever I am overwhelmed about having a particular degree I remind myself I could have placed into the class at fourteen, which is funny. Some instances the issue could be whether a person is smart enough, in others it is just a matter of making a specific decision. At this point in my life most issues in terms of classes are making the decision versus an issue of being on a certain level, thankfully. I feel like a lucky lady to have the luxury of such things, but that’s who I am, someone who needs to accomplish those specific checklist goals.
Some of the smartest men whom I have ever worked with in software, do not have degrees from an ivy league school, and a lot of companies hire people in a way you can place into graduate level math at any age. Be open minded and creative about ways intelligence can be reflected, because you do not always need the cookie cutter degree to have the job. One time I worked with a software programmer who was completely taught by private tutors, and many people are envious of their position in the workplace. Another friend of mine who did the big name university had academic credit for working in California for a software company after two years of classes, he could not sit through classes he knew everything in and had no desire for graduate level ones, his degree has a personalized title, things can be flexible when you’re smart; extenuating circumstances and options exist. You can just be really smart without a degree and someone will give you a really good job, it happens all the time. Do you look smarter with or without the degree in tech?! If someone does not have a degree, everyone at work thinks they must be a genius, which is like being a celebrity amongst smart people. My dad has an honorary doctorate, but he could not be higher than the president of a company that he is, president and CEO, so it’s just an extra honor he happens to have which is very nice; we keep it lighthearted. Nevertheless, I have always dreamed of having a specific graduate degree to compliment the specific career and my family is a very nice support system for my endeavors. I think playing the violin made me memorize material very well from a young age, so I hope one day that I have children who play string instruments from three years old onward, to make them all smarter.
Playing those long pieces gave me the patience to run really long distances, lengthening my brain waves maybe. I feel like I have accomplished a lot of things, but not all at once, I concentrate on one thing at a time and do it well. Like I either play the violin or run, or do school full time or work full time; doing two of those four things at a time is how I hit peaks. When I focus on one thing I do it well, of course I balance all those things sometimes, but there is always one main priority or focus.
It is very important to have one big thing to focus on or specialize in, to actually do it well.
