Bakersfield College student Christopher Anderson will be spending his spring break celebrating his 13th birthday.
Christopher has attended BC since he was 11 years old. Before that he attended Franklin Elementary. His father, Paul Anderson, decided to have his son attend BC since “junior highs are horrible,” according to Paul.
The idea of having Christopher home schooled was considered but Paul decided to have Christopher take the BC entrance exam and according to Paul, Christopher “aced” the entrance exam.
Dan Kimball, chemistry professor, was one of Christopher’s teachers last semester and thinks that it is “a good idea to have high school students take college level classes whenever they can.”
He also added that such young students could have social interaction difficulties with older students.
However, Christopher sees BC as a learning experience, rather than a chance for socializing. ” School is to learn, not to socialize,” said Christopher.
In regard to BC, Christopher said that he doesn’t think “it’s any harder for me than for anybody else.”
He also added that his BC classmates are often “surprised” that he attends BC.
“I wish all my students would be as innovative, dedicated and have as much initiative as Christopher,” Kimball said. Christopher also added that he likes attending BC to “learn.”
According to Sue Vaughn, director of enrollment services, education codes allow a non-adult student to enroll in a community college as long as the minor’s school recommends it and the parents agree.
After that, the student is required to go through the same matriculation as any other student.
The matriculation involves taking the orientation, assessment test and a meeting with a counselor before class registration.
A minor student is allowed to take no more than 11.5 units, unless otherwise given permission to do so by the college president.
Vaughn said that minor students are only allowed to take “degree applicable courses.”
Christopher plans to get an AA in anthropology and said that math is his worst subject.