<p>I don’t go to a particularly challenging high school but I’ve found ways to challenge myself; when I became interested in physics, I started trying my hand at quite a few difficult problems on my own. I spent so much time reading & solving interesting (non-textbook) Physics & Calculus problems on my own that by the time I took AP Calculus, most of Calc I was second-nature to me.</p>
<p>I’ve heard of people taking advanced classes like Differential Equations in high school. I considered the option of skipping the AP Calculus class and going to a college for Calculus, which would have given me time to finish Differential Equations. However, I decided instead to spend a year in AP Calculus; this year (senior) I’m taking Calc II & III as well as freshman-level Physics at a college.</p>
<p>Even though AP Calculus was an “easy” course for me, I think that I made the right decision in waiting a year before going to the real college-level math courses. It gave me another year to just play around with various ideas; I think that this has been just as beneficial for me as actual coursework. Also, since I’m planning to major in Physics, I feel that it’s best to try not to rush things too much - there will be plenty of time to study the truly advanced concepts (like relativity) over the coming years, but it will be hard to bring my knowledge to a professional level if the building blocks aren’t solidly in place.</p>
<p>I think sometimes it’s a good idea to slow down the pace a little. There’s a point where increasing a high school student’s load becomes more harmful than beneficial.</p>