Physics Bachelor's in Theoretical Astrophysics at 18?

[DukeofDuke]

Since when did college become a race to become credentialed?

College is about becoming comfortable with yourself and others. You can't hide away in a lab your whole life. I mean, you can, but that's not the point.

Most of us are just kids when we leave high school. College (or the army) starts changing that. You can't pick who you are and where you're going at age 16; don't rush through this.

 

[saganforever]

I agree with all of the previous posters who said that it would be better for you to graduate in four years with some solid research experience behind you than to just rush through doing the minimum.

Yeah. I decided I'm going to do graduate in four years and try to soak up all of the knowledge available.

There aren't many college students or professors into skateboarding. Einstein rode a bike, so I'm not going to condemn childish activities outright! But you need more strings to your bow. I recommend reading books on politics and philosophy, then you will always have something to talk about in any college social situation. You migt even broaden your mind :-) It doesn't have to be too heavy. In fact for socialising, reading things that everyone has heard about is a good idea. For instance, Obama's biography or Dawkins "The God Delusion". Imagine a beautiful psychology student, in the lunch queue, asking you what your hobbies are. If you say skateboarding, she is likely to move on quickly. Say reading, and then say you are reading Dawkins or Obama, and you have a good social situation right there! And, heck, reading such authors is fun!

I watch the local and national news almost every day, that might give me something to talk about in a college situation. I think I've tried to get my mom to order "The God Delusion" online for me before. She's a fundie. Obama's biography sounds interesting, and so do books on psychology. I've read some of Carl Sagan's books and Stephen Hawking's "A Brief History of Time".

 

[pjfoster]

So I've glanced over the pages and pages of posts, but didn't read them in detail. Sorry if I repeat info.

Let me start by saying that I was in the same boat you are. I finished high school early and started college at the wise old age of 17. I too had dreams like yours of finishing early.

Then reality hit. The school I go to has the prereqs for the core physics courses structured so that it is literally impossible for one to finish a physics degree in less than 3 years. Another thing to consider is the difficulty of the courses. Once again I was like you, bright and ambitious. I was taking a hard load of high school classes while taking several college classes at the same time. A thing to consider is where are you taking your current college classes at. If you're like most high school kids, you take college classes at community college or a local university. Truth be told, you have no ****ing idea of what it's like to take a full load of physics/math classes at the majors level. You may think you do, but really how could you? Sorry for being so blunt.

If you want to impress admissions committees and are looking for a challenge, add more majors. I'm currently loaded pretty full with two, but it's looking like I'm adding a third. You're in college to learn material, not just for a piece of paper to hang on your wall. Taking advanced math, physics, or chemistry courses will help you succeed in life much more than finishing early, as will having time to devote to research as an undergrad.