News, 13-Year-Old Prodigy Cries Discrimination After University Denied Him Ecology Class. (PhD, degree)
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He may be young but Colin Carlson said he is no stranger to discrimination.
Carlson, a gifted child, was at age 12 turned away from his dream school, Connecticut College, amid concerns that he was too young for a dormitory, even though he agreed to live off campus with his mother.
I'd probably turn him down too- a 13 year old on a field expedition is a HUGE liability, even if mom is tagging along . . . especially if Mom is tagging along. The professor probably won't be able to teach the class the way he normally does because of the sensitivities involved in bringing a young teen. I remember the field work we did in my geo classes in college- it was rough.
If they are so insistent that he does this, then the family should pay to bring him down privately. If anything were to happen, that family would sue the school. In this case, the school is in trouble either way.
I don't have a problem with younger students taking college classes (I did it myself), but showing up to class a few hours a week is very very different from going on a month long trip in another (somewhat dangerous) country. South Africa will still be there in a few years.
The little bratty child thinks he's entitled. He needs to go back to middle school where he can be with kids of his own maturity level. South Africa is nowhere for a 13 year old student to travel.
The little bratty child thinks he's entitled. He needs to go back to middle school where he can be with kids of his own maturity level. South Africa is nowhere for a 13 year old student to travel.
Umm, this post is 10x brattier than anything he's quoted saying. Sad when a 13 yr old is not only smarter than you, but more mature lol.
I am somewhat conflicted over the issue of child prodigies. While on one hand, I think it is nice that they can take advanced courses, on the other hand, they shouldn't be pushed through the school system so soon. They need to stick with kids their own age. What is the point of having a 13 year old in college? It is just so he can have a masters or phd or any professional degree by his 20s to mid20s instead of this 30s. Basically, to prepare him for a job. Kids should have time for play and social interaction and not just focus on pure academics. I'm not anti-intellectual by any means, I just wouldn't but my 13 in college no matter how smart the kid was. Let children be children!
Yeah, Marissy, but he might not be happy with his 'own age' spending time not being challenged. It's a waste of his potential. I kind of identify with this kid, and you can separate your schooling from your social life and do well with both.
He's a double study and been doing this for awhile.
He's standing up for his rights.
The University wouldn't let him go on a field trip to Africa. He's been enrolled in classes with a 3.9 GPA. He should have been able to go to Africa with the mother going along as a chaperone.
I think it's too late for him to regress and be with students of his own age in school.
Hm, a trip to Africa? I wouldn't let him go either. He is young, and if something happened, the University would have to take care of it. That is probably their reasoning (I admit, I didn't read the article yet). They see him as a liability. A trip to Africa (or any other place) off campus with just him mom is fine, but with the school, no.
Also, no, he doesn't have the 'right' to go. He is a minor, so technically (in some interpretation of law) he really doesn't have much of any rights outside of basic human rights until he is 18. I'm not trying to be mean, this is just of what I read and understand of law.
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