Here’s an article about a guy who graduated UVA in one year with a double major, Physics and Math. It helped that he went into his first year with 72 AP credits from high school, but it’s still quite impressive.
Rock on David Bahn!
That was sweet! Talk about having your priorities in check.
How did he get 72 AP credits? That’s amazing.
Man, that is impressive.
*hunterrose is inspired to get off his duff*
Wow - And I was excited that my 16-year old daughter in her Junior year is taking AP BC Calculus (continued from Sophomore year), AP Latin, and AP Physics. She’s smart enough, but not a genius. Anymore than this, and she wouldn’t have time for varsity sports, or friends.
But how did this guy get so many AP credits from highschool?! Even if a high school offered that many AP classes, wouldn’t a lot of them overlap and conflict timewise? Sheesh!
-Impressed but flabbergasted mom.
This article from the Washington Post has a little bit more detail.
From the Post article:
His college education, almost entirely covered by a patchwork of scholarships, cost him about $200. And he sold back textbooks for more than that.
…I’m impressed he was able to sell books back for that much! I usually get a whopping 40 bucks, after the 400 I spent initially. Although eight semesters’ worth of books at once might do the trick.
That is amazing! Something tells me we’ll hear this guy’s name again in the future. 
I think this guy needs a girlfriend.
I think this guy needs a girlfriend.
A question of the intent of this remark has come up in private. Can you explain in further detail what you mean?
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I think what the comment meant was that someone who spent so much time on studies probably has very little social life (although that’s not necessarily true).
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Regarding the original post: very impressive for such a young lad, although I completed 60 credits in 12 months for my graduate program. Granted, I was much older and more organized, etc – I’m saying it only to demonstrate that it is not impossible (or even improbable). Bringing those 70+ credits to the table made all the difference, and likely motivated the kid to work that much harder to attain his goal in such a short time.
- I think what the comment meant was that someone who spent so much time on studies probably has very little social life
Actually, the comment meant more than that: not merely that he didn’t have a social life, but that he was wrong not to have one. The implication was that he should spend less time on what he was doing and more on getting a girlfriend.
I didn’t read the articles in their entirety, so I don’t know if there was something in them that hinted that this young man’s motivation was irrational in some way. I figure he now has more time an money to spend on girls!
A question of the intent of this remark has come up in private. Can you explain in further detail what you mean?
Software nerd expressed my thoughts well; This guy is wrong not to have a social live.
I knew many kids like this in college (mostly in the honors engineering program) and while they were really smart and did well in school, they seemed fixated at some preliminary social stage of development.
I agree that career is more important than girls, but not that much more important.
But maybe this kid is actually fine and i’m making a deal about nothing.
Actually, the comment meant more than that: not merely that he didn’t have a social life, but that he was wrong not to have one. The implication was that he should spend less time on what he was doing and more on getting a girlfriend.
This is a pretty standard response from academicians and advisors, and appalling so. An undergraduate education is now seen as an opportunity to explore, to find yourself, to “discover the world”, to have fun, but not, definitely _ not _, to master knowledge of a coherent aspect of the world. Note the 7th para. in the Post article: “Many professors would like students to explore and experiment in college rather than cram in as much as possible at top speed”.
Software nerd expressed my thoughts well; This guy is wrong not to have a social live.
Why? What is the purpose of going to a university? If the purpose of attending a university were expanding your social life, then I would agree that the guy was wrong. But that is not the purpose of a university (although that may be how universities are being packaged these days. Perhaps in the near future, the purpose of universities will change in the way you seem to imply that they should, at which time men of the mind will need to create a new kind of institution, dedicated to education rather than socialization. But until that day comes, the guy was entirely right to focus on his education while attending an educational institution.
To put it the other way, it is people who attend universities for the purpose of socializing who are wrong. Very wrong. They should instead attend bars, and not weigh down universities with their disregard for learning.
I knew many kids like this in college (mostly in the honors engineering program) and while they were really smart and did well in school, they seemed fixated at some preliminary social stage of development.
What would be “fixation at some preliminary social stage of development”?
Would you describe your attitude for such excellent students as “get a life”?
The appropriate response to achievements is admiration.
I could understand if such a person was your close friend and you would give them an advice on their personal life because you want them to be happy. But to generalize all students who invest a lot in their education as being wrong (“like, get a life dude <smashing beer can on my head>)” - that cannot be motivated by concern for their happiness. It is contempt for a lifestyle. Please correct me if I’m wrong.
To put it the other way, it is people who attend universities for the purpose of socializing who are wrong. Very wrong. They should instead attend bars, and not weigh down universities with their disregard for learning.
<_<
Software nerd expressed my thoughts well; This guy is wrong not to have a social live.
Just in case it wasn’t clear, I was not expressing any agreement, but merely explaining what you had said.
Here’s a question: would you give the same “get a life” advice to the Roark you see in the beginning chapters of Fountainhead?
This guy is wrong not to have a social live.
I think it is incredibly presumptuous of you to make such a judgment against the guy.
I agree with Ifat on this one. Based on the available information, admiration of his achievement is what he deserves.
Additionally, David’s comments are spot on as well.
Just in case it wasn’t clear, I was not expressing any agreement, but merely explaining what you had said.
Here’s a question: would you give the same “get a life” advice to the Roark you see in the beginning chapters of Fountainhead?
I understand we aren’t in agreement.
Getting a college degree is far from a virtue, because all it boils down to is doing what other people tell you to do. Not that getting good grades is necessarily a bad thing, but if you put real stock into it, then i feel sorry for you. What counts is what you do with your education.
It’s like listening to your mother when you were little. You probably should do what your mom says but if you keep attaching value to it like it was some great accomplishment, then yes, you need to get a life.
On the other hand, Roark embarked upon a journey in which he created his own existence on values that he created for himself… very different from studying for a midterm.
And as far as Roark’s love life is concerned… It’s a fantasy written by a woman. It reads like a romance novel. This is not how it happens in real life. Successful dating is more than just confidence derived from self-knowing. It’s a skill set, it’s a muscle built over time. Just like anything else in life, to get good with women you need to learn first. And the only way to learn is to date several.
moreover, women like dominique (exceptional women) are rare (as are exceptional men). Most women aren’t good matches for me. So I date around and pick who i like and discard who i don’t. All men and women should do the same.
I think it is incredibly presumptuous of you to make such a judgment against the guy.
Right, i don’t know the guy so i don’t make judgments about him personally. But i am generalizing his situation, and applying it to similar cases i know… i’m trying to derive a lesson based on a hypothetical i projected about his life.
Getting a college degree is far from a virtue, because all it boils down to is doing what other people tell you to do. Not that getting good grades is necessarily a bad thing, but if you put real stock into it, then i feel sorry for you. What counts is what you do with your education.
So, you are saying, degree is not really good, but doing something with your education is good. Something is not clear here. What do you mean by ‘education’ at the end there?
It’s like listening to your mother when you were little. You probably should do what your mom says but if you keep attaching value to it like it was some great accomplishment, then yes, you need to get a life.
What does ‘get a life’ mean in this context?
On the other hand, Roark embarked upon a journey in which he created his own existence on values that he created for himself… very different from studying for a midterm.
How is it different? Because midterm was not created by him, and thus wasn’t his creation/choice, and therefore not worth of pursueing?
… It’s a skill set …
What does this skill set contain? I presume this is something Roark could not have had, as he didn’t date much if at all, am I correct?