The excitement of my future always made me hope that time would pass more quickly; I was always eager to be an adult, but I never thought that time would actually come. Thankfully, I’ve never really struggled with school; I’ve always been a quick learner. 

I never needed study sessions with my friends and rarely had to read through a textbook. Because I could sit in class, listen, ask questions, and succeed on tests without much prior preparation, my time in school seemed to have flown by.

I attended middle school at Pembroke Pines Charter West Campus and had the opportunity to take high school credit courses. When I became aware, I conducted as much research as possible using the school’s website and developed my plan. I took full advantage of the classes, making sure I chose courses that would benefit me the most.

In seventh and eighth grade, I started working towards my high school graduation requirements by taking honors classes in Algebra 1, Geometry, Biology, and Digital Information Technology. These classes fulfilled some of my requirements, leaving me with 18 credits remaining.

Once I entered high school, I kept taking advanced courses, but the idea of graduating early no longer interested me. I was doing well, but I started to enjoy my time more and didn’t perform as well. 

By the end of my first year, I realized how important school and stats were to getting into a worthy university. When my sophomore year began, I regained my focus on early graduation and continued to work towards my dream.

I had completed the majority of my credits by sophomore year, leaving me with just two English and two history credits. I asked my counselors questions, read numerous class descriptions, and planned out my course of action, which ultimately involved taking the remaining credits through dual enrollment. 

After informing my counselor of my plans and receiving approval, I was finally set to graduate in 2026, not only as an early graduate but also as someone on the road to earning their Gold Biliteracy Seal, AICE Diploma, Bright Futures Scholarship, and numerous honors.

Many of my friends ask how I reached this point, and my advice is to educate yourself on how to achieve your goals. Strive to learn the shortcuts and get your questions answered, no matter how basic that might sound. 

I wanted to graduate early because of my own personal reasons. If you’re someone in the same position and considering doing the same, I’d advise you to take a moment to think about what your college application could look like with all four years in school rather than three. 

One year can make a significant difference; if you use that time to boost your GPA or get a perfect score on your SAT’s reading section, your chances of getting into your dream university will increase. Before making a big decision, consider all your options and do what’s best for you.