Slight caveat: you can't spend more than 50% of your official working time programming, else you don't qualify (for the TN).

I don't think that it is a specific number. I've heard people suggest you say less than 40%.

Yup, you can do that!

I had a friend create a pipe where he synced his fB to Yahoo, and then Yahoo to Gmail to put his contacts in Gmail... I was contemplating writing a Firefox (or Chrome) extension where you input your Yahoo / Google / Facebook account info. and the extension goes off and does the piping for you. But! this looks awesome, need to go test (by reactivating my fB account...)

Respect because she's a textbook-case of minority oppression?

What? No, because she doesn't want any special treatment and finds the idea insulting.

Wow. Are women really considered minority?

In tech? On HN? In YC? Definitely.

I didn't re-read it, but from what I remember, they started an intensive effort to both retain women who started in computing classes as well as understand the reasons why less women start computing and continue.

They had a smaller usegroup they used for their study and show that women drop out thinking that they're not doing as well as men in the same classes when really, they're doing about above average.

who?

Look into studying abroad, taking community college classes, and the possible repercussions of graduating early.

What are the possible repercussions of graduating early? That's really what I'm interested in most.

(1) Are you planning on going to university? a) most top (u.s.) universities look down upon graduating early. They'd prefer to see you really use up all your resources in your area and say, win siemens, start a non-profit, become a lobbyist, start a start-up than graduate early. b) can you get into a (good) university right now?

(2) Finances. Do you currently rely on your parents' finances? Upon graduating high school, will this change? Would you have to pay for university yourself?

(3) Are you mature enough to be doin' what 18 year olds do when you're 17? I assume you're a dude (most folks here are), and dudes mature slower than girls do. There's a big difference between 17 and 18 (although not really a big difference between 22 and 23, or 40 and 41...)

(4) (small one) Having to explain to all your peers for the next 5 years that yes, you are younger than them and why. Not being able to drink in public legally for a year longer than all your friends.

Honestly, I don't know where you live, but I'd look into Other Enrichment opportunities before graduating early. I went to a state-run public boarding school for science and math in my junior year that was more like college than some colleges are. Can you just take less classes senior year and work on a start-up? (I presume you're interested in those 'cause you're here...) Are there good universities (or bad ones) in the area that you could take classes at?

All of those seem like much better options than graduating early and "starting life" earlier. "Starting life" always seems just around the corner when you finish yet another milestone, but I'm slowly becoming more aware of the fact that life starts now (not to get too philosophical).

> "Starting life" always seems just around the corner when you finish yet another milestone, but I'm slowly becoming more aware of the fact that life starts now (not to get too philosophical).

That's my main inspiration for trying this. Why waste time in high school?

Anyway, thanks for the response and the pointers as for what to consider. 1) is really the major one, as well as 2).

(I think I'm mature enough? Well, then again, who would say they weren't? And I do not drink, and do not plan to start.)

Thanks :)

Hmm...I might not have made my point clear:

I think it's a mistake to view 'starting life' as when you're finished with a milestone (i.e. high school). One should instead think of 'starting life' or, life, as now, regardless of the contextual situation (in high school, in college, not yet married, not yet a successful start-up founder, etc.)

That's awesome. I might reorganize my work space so that I can take better advantage of wall space.

Freeing the H1-B wouldn't just help out programmers, but all disciplines, including doctors.

I can't seem to find the pricing on that school.

There are similar schools in the States (Carolina Friends school in Chapel Hill comes to mind), but most of them are very, ridiculously expensive (as much as a private college in the U.S.).

Summerhill costs 20,000 pounds a year.

Can you link please to students/parents deciding tracks? I'm very dubious on this actually working, as if it wasn't for direct teacher/administrator intervention in my early education, I wouldn't have been pushed nearly as hard.

I think, maybe it was this article, unfortunately now behind a paywall.

http://www.economist.com/displayStory.cfm?Story_ID=E1_TTGNNP...

I think your experience is unusual in that you would have chosen easier classes left to your own devices. Usually, the debates about "tracking" center on the weaker students getting pushed out of the harder classes. What I remember seeing is that the countries with strongest schools (Finland and I think Singapore) just set a given pace for each class, and let students and parents decide what is best for them.