Do you think gifted children should enter university at an early age?
Name: Sahil Arora
Age: 16
Top Tunes: Rock
Young people are under tremendous academic pressure, and sending them at an early age to university may not be wise. You have to be socially competent and sufficiently mature for the university experience. There is also the possibility of exclusion. Bullying could become a problem for underage undergraduates. Instead of enjoying university life, these young people will bury themselves in their studies, and not take part in sports or other activities. That would be most unhealthy.
Name: Niketa Kashyap
Age: 16
Top Tunes: A bit of everything
I don't support the idea of young teens going to university. Firstly, they don't have the experience to cope with certain social situations. For example, they could come under the influence of older students with bad habits, such as drug abuse. Secondly, university is not all about studying. It is also about being young and enjoying your youth. Young teens may not be ready for all this. More importantly, they don't need the extra stress of working for a degree at a tender age.
Name: Madeline Downs
Age: 16
Top Tunes: None
If you are very academic-minded, it would a great idea to go to university as a young teen. You will gain early life experience and become more mature. Young teens will also enjoy the social aspect of university campus life. They will make new friends, broaden their horizon and gain different perspectives on life. A young teen will be challenged in exciting ways at university.
Name: Jamie Hodson
Age: 13
Top Tunes: Rock
Universities generally take into consideration a person's age when they review applications. University is for older, mature students. Most universities accept students 18 years and over. Teens under 18 may not be able to handle the pressures of university life. They may not be able to get into the spirit of campus life, and as a result will not enjoy their university years. Young teens have a limited exposure to campus life. They are not yet psychologically ready for university.
Name: Aveen Nagrani
Age: 16
Top Tunes: Rock
There are advantages and disadvantages to gifted teens entering university. It's a great idea to give very talented young people the chance for a higher education early in life. But at the same time, they will be under great pressure. Also, the university lifestyle may not suit them. They may not be up to the social life of university, and they may not be physically ready for university-level sports and other activities. Personally, I would not opt for university life even if I qualified at an early age.