How I graduated high school at 16

Read time: 4 minutes

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HAPPY NEW YEAR, everyone! 2023 was a wild ride, full of ups and downs, but through it all, this piece I wrote remains close to my heart. It started as a simple Twitter post, but the way it resonated with so many people, sparking positive conversations and meaningful connections, made it truly special. So, I wanted to share it again with you all.

You can find the original piece here. This newsletter will be a bit longer, and I’ll provide some more resources that I didn’t provide before.

I completed my US-accredited high school program in 1 year at 16:

(100% online as an international homeschool student with less than $80/mo)

My 5-step blueprint:

Disclaimer: This path is not made for everyone. I just want to share this piece so someone in middle school would find it helpful. Please practice with caution.

Step 1. Choosing the right program

The most important requirement is that the courses are self-paced and accredited by the NCAA, WASC, or other equivalent parties.

There are numerous options available; just search "self-paced high school program" and you can explore.

I chose Acellus because it was the most popular option in Vietnam, and my sister's used the program before.

My thought process: I just wanted to complete school ASAP; therefore, I sacrificed my grades with only a 3.54 GPA. I just wanted to give you some transparency.

To give you a balanced view, here's a quick list of the pros and cons of Acellus.

Pros:

• WASC and NCAA-accredited

• Simple format

• 100% self-paced

• Year-round enrollment

• Only need basic English

• Over 300 courses are available

• Take up to 6 courses at once

• Can take accredited AP courses

Cons:

• Boring at times.

• Can't skip video; just speed up

• No interaction with/ friends or teachers

• Some content are outdated and below par

• The repetitive cycle of video → multiple-choice questions

• The lesson length is anywhere from 1 min to 30 min.

All you need is the basic plan of $79/mo, and that's enough. Get the Roger Billings Scholarship for this price.

If you are in elementary or middle school, maybe you don't need the accreditation, but for high school, it's a must-have for me.

I only started Acellus in 10th grade so if you're younger, you may bookmark this and come back later :)

2. Create a study schedule

Each course is worth 0.5 - 1 credit.

I followed the standard path instead of the honors path because I just wanted speed, so I needed around 25–27 courses to complete.

For me, the hardest were:

• General Physics (1.0)

• General Chemistry (1.0)

• American Lit. – English III (1.0)

• Collaborative Theatre (1.0) (don't ask me why)

You may review all their courses here: https://www.acellusacademy.com/online-high-school/course-overview/

I spent anywhere from 2 to 6 hours/day in the Acellus grinding mode.

There were days when I did 100 or 150 steps (almost half of a semester's worth.

As a rule of thumb, I prioritized the hardest courses, count the # of steps in each course, and reverse engineer the duration.

Looking back, I would have definitely started with chemistry and physics first, then the English courses, before moving on to the rest.

3. Have a strong WHY.

With the cons mentioned above, you must prepare yourself mentally and physically for the challenges ahead.

I always keep a strong why, visualize the worst outcome if I fail, and remind myself of the progress that I am making.

This journey is lonely at times, but if I know that every day I am moving 10, 20, or 50 steps closer to my goal, it gives me motivation to keep going.

4. Add supplementary

Acellus is not enough. Most students used Acellus in addition to their traditional schooling curriculum.

Some even reject Acellus because it’s not quality enough.

I didn't know this back then, and now I kind of regret it. I have a lot of knowledge gaps that I need to fill.

Some good programs I wish I had known sooner were:

• IXL

• ALEKs

• Beestar

• Khan Academy

Here's a good Quora forum with more recommendations:

My recent favorite is Adaptive Learning Apps for Learning Recovery. If you want to learn more, read this thread:

5. Have a life outside of your phone.

Literally. If you already spend 2–6 hours completing your Acellus, getting sunlight or physical activity is just pure underrated.

I like to walk with my grandmother in the park or play football with my friends every afternoon.

Whatever it is, I try not to burn out and still enjoy the joy of homeschooling.

🎯 Takeaway

1. Choosing the right program

2. Create a realistic study plan

3. Have a strong WHY

4. Add supplementary

5. Have a life outside of your phone.

🧬 Life Update

The most interesting thing about last week:

I went on a family vacation with my family, and this gave me time and an opportunity to reflect on my year. We also have this annual family reflection tradition, so that was my chance to share my work with other family members, which I sometimes have a problem doing.

My plan for 2024

In the past few months, I have been focusing on my finances a lot, and I am happy to say that now I have enough budget to maintain my current lifestyle without needing my family's support. I will be back on both Twitter and the Learning Lab in 2024. My main priority is still to finish the ICanStudy learning course.

Since it’s the NY, if you’re considering making New Year's resolutions, maybe give this video a watch—it was such a perspective shift for me.

In the coming weeks, I have some very interesting pieces in place for you. Stay tuned and let’s crush 2024.

If you enjoy posts like these, reply back to me so I can write more in the future.

This is it for now. I hope you enjoyed this post.

Remember to answer that riddle to get featured in the next post.

Toan Truong.