By Katherine Han
I’m sure we’ve all met an overachiever in our school days. Overachievers are also common stock characters in TV shows and movies. Often times, we envy their ability to complete homework and ace tests with ease. One stereotypical trait of overachievers in TV shows and movies is that they have skipped a grade or two and several math levels. But, in real life, is skipping a math level really worth it?
In order to “skip” a level in course, you would have to take the course you want to “skip” over summer or a break in the school year. Only then will you be able to skip that level in school. This is pretty difficult since you would have to sacrifice your vacation time to try to cram a school year’s worth of information into three months or less. Not only do you have less time, you also have to get a good grade when finishing the course to ensure your school will allow you to school. It will also be more difficult to ensure that the information you learned over summer is maintained in your head. With less time available for the information to fully solidify in your brain, it would almost be the equivalent of cramming for a test the night before.
There are some benefits to skipping a level. First off, you will be ahead of your grade and will probably be able to be offered more opportunities. Also, depending which level of which course you are skipping, it could be beneficial for what you are planning on doing for the rest of high school. For example, if you aren’t in a high enough math level you may not be able to get into a math AP class by the end of high school. So, if you skip a math level, you could get yourself into a level so that you will be able to take an AP or honors class by the end of high school. Also, say for example you want to take the SAT in your junior year. But, if you aren’t in a high enough math level, then by the time you take the SAT you wouldn’t have learned all the information you need in order to succeed. This is a pretty good reason to want to skip a math level.
It’s always helpful to be ahead, because then, you can be more prepared. However, the process you must take in order to be ahead can be very difficult. It depends on whether or not you think what you will get out of it is worth it or not. Skipping a level could seriously help you in future year in your high school career. Or, it could serve no purpose at all.
