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Erica Cox, a freshman from the Columbus area majoring in integrated science education, lives with Synesthesia, a phenomenon that causes people to see letters and numbers as associated with colors. Cox was diagnosed at the age of 8 when "I realized that not everyone hears colors." (LIZ MOUGHON | FOR THE POST)

Some Ohio University freshmen start college as young as 16

Freshman Erica Cox knows some high school sophomores who are older than her.

Erica, who studies integrated science education at Ohio University, is 16 years old. She and her twin sister skipped eighth grade. Erica, who is from Johnstown, then graduated an additional year early, she said.

She said she was able to graduate early by completing her required high school credits in three years and taking college-level classes.

“Our seventh grade year was some seventh grade classes, some eighth grade classes,” Erica said. “We eventually just skipped eighth grade and went to high school. I got through a couple of years of high school and said ‘I’m not doing this for another year,’ and decided to graduate another year early.”

Lukas Palmer, a freshman studying computer science who is from Lakewood, had a similar experience. Palmer started high school when he was 11 years old, which allowed him to complete high school early.

“I actually did this sort of five-year program there, where the goal was to lighten the workload and stretch it over five years just to make it more manageable and to do like a gap year-type thing so I wouldn’t finish high school so early,” he said.

The age difference between him and his peers had a negative impact on him socially, Palmer said.

“Not only did I enter high school at 11 ... I also came from homeschooling and then a gifted school, so lots of other socially awkward people,” he said. “You kind of lost any social skills you might’ve had going into that, so I basically had nothing to work with when I went into high school.”

Stephen Petrill, a professor of developmental psychology at Ohio State University, said there are both ups and downs to starting college younger than 18. He said in most cases, it depends on the student’s maturity level.

“Sometimes people mature faster, so starting early is actually helpful as opposed to hurtful,” he said.

Petrill added that it is important to understand how far along a person is developed academically, socially and cognitively to balance the benefits and disadvantages before making a decision. 

Check out: OU's Class of 2020 is third largest, despite enrollment decrease

 Shannon Cox, Erica’s mother, said Erica did not have social struggles growing up.

“I never had any concerns about Erica’s ability or her getting along with other people,” Shannon said. “She’s always done extremely well in that area, and had lots of friends, and teachers saying ‘hey, this is great, we can put her with any group of kids in any classroom.’ ”

Palmer said that though he used to struggle socially, he has not had any trouble adjusting to college.

“I have a single parent, and I’m an only child, so I was never really super dependent, which probably helped a lot,” he said. “It’s been a very smooth adjustment. I haven’t had any issues with just managing things on my own.”

Jasmine Lambert, Erica’s peer mentor through the LINKS program, said Erica also seems to be adjusting well to college.

“She’s very timid and quiet, but I think there’s a shell you have to break down there, so we’re working on it,” Lambert, a senior studying journalism and political science, said.

Lambert said that in her three years as a peer mentor, she has never worked with a freshman as young as Erica.

Having a 16-year-old in college can be “disconcerting” at times, largely due to the reactions of others, Shannon said.

“I believe I have a daughter who’s very confident, who’s exactly where she needs to be, and where she’s established a great fit,” Shannon said. “I think it’s more just the dissonance that’s created when you’re having conversations or doing things that are considered ordinary when other people find it a lot more unusual than we find it.”

Palmer said students can start college early and still have a normal experience, despite the age difference.

“As far as everyone’s experience, it does depend a lot on how well you adjust to being in an offset like that,” he said. “College is definitely a product of how you were raised.”

@lilli_sher

ls304915@ohio.edu

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