Q
My social life is at a peak right now, and apparently, so is my intellectuality. The school board wants me to skip a grade, and so do my parents, but now the decision rests on my shoulders. Should I leave all of my friends for older, more sophisticated people where I might stick out like a sore thumb but still achieve a better education, or stay in my grade with all of my friends but receive no real challenges in my work?
A
Listen to your own voice. Take a sheet of paper and draw a line down the middle. List the pluses of deciding to stay in your grade on one side and the minuses on the other side. Now do the same for a decision to skip a grade. This will begin the process of creative decision making.
There is no such thing as one's "peak" when it comes to intellectual prowess or potential. Not so for one's social life while in school; you know that. Isn't it possible for you to skip a grade and still maintain contacts with your present social group while perhaps expanding your friendship/acquaintance circle a bit with some older students? Also, couldn't you work with your school's teachers and guidance counselor to create a more challenging curriculum? What about some independent study work? This doesn't have to be a black and white decision. Trust your instincts about what "feels" better for you at this age and stage of your personal and school life. I'm sure that you will make the best decision.