Richmond is a first-year residence hall meaning that it is full of young men and women who are experiencing their first year away from home. In one dorm room, a single at the end of the hall, lives a typical first-year student. His room, which is larger than most singles because it is in the corner, is adorned with posters from his favorite films, such as Spider-Man 2. Of course, he also has a shelf in his room dedicated to his schoolwork. This shelf is filled with thick calculus textbooks. The room appears like any other student’s room, until the resident reveals his age.

Michael Rodgers is 16 years old, and has 62 college credits. The typical junior only has 60, but Michael is not a typical student, nor does he want to be. Until this past spring, Michael, a Buffalo resident, was home-schooled. This is his first semester as a full-time student at the University at Buffalo, where he is working on computer science major and math minor.

Michael was home-schooled in his south Buffalo home for six years. At first, it was a temporary solution to a temporary problem. The middle school that Michael was supposed to attend was 40 minutes away.

“When my parents decided I shouldn’t go there, [home-schooling] seemed like the best option,” he said.

Michael was taught through videos supplied by A Beka Academy. A Beka Academy is a company run by Pensacola Christian College. They provide students with videos, workbooks, tests, and grading keys for courses for grades K-12. Whichever parent that was home at the time helped out.

“They were like a guidance counselor. They would be the equivalent of a T.A.,” Michael said.

He acquired the college credit by taking courses at UB. Last year, he took two courses as a commuter.

He was first exposed to college work when he enrolled in UB’s Gifted Math Program (GMP). In 1979 the GMP was started by Betty J. Krist, now the Professor Emeritus at Buffalo State College, and Gerald R. Rising, UB’s Professor Emeritus of the department of Learning and Instruction. The selective program allows students in grades 7-12 to take advanced mathematics courses up to tenth grade. After that, they may take college courses as high school juniors and seniors. Students who graduate high school after completing the GMP go into college with 22 hours of college credit.

However, because Michael was being home-schooled, he thought that the rate of one to two credits per year was slow. After two years in the GMP, Michael dropped out of the program at the age of 14, and enrolled in college math courses. According to Michael, enrolling in “real” courses such as calculus and physics was not difficult, because GMP students are regarded as UB students.

“They give you a UB card and everything,” Michael said. Because of this, he also decided to stay with home-schooling, rather than attend St. John’s High School.

For two years, Michael did high school work and college work simultaneously. Earlier this year, he completed the high school curriculum, and now he is a full time student at UB, living in the residence halls.

While enrolling in college courses was easy for the 16 year-old, graduating high school was not.

“You have no idea how many holes I had to jump through,” Michael said. Because of his age, his parents had to do hours of paperwork for him to take the GED.

Eventually he was able to take the test, and enroll as a 16 year-old “junior,” having acquired 62 credits from the GMP and college math courses. He chose to stay at UB, because it was close to home.

Michael also said that his parents “wanted to keep an eye on me.” His parents are always close by, and they treat him like any other college student.

“Being my age, I get drug talks and alcohol talks,” Michael says. He also talks to his neighbors, and the friends he made while taking college courses.

Michael’s room is set up like any other student’s dorm, including a small refrigerator stocked with snacks. According to Michael, Hot Pockets are “a staple for home-schooling.” It should also be noted that Michael’s room has no television.

“That’s my one flaw,” he said.

So far, Michael has made many more college friends. They meet for dinner nearly every day, and Michael does not stand out too much. He is a little over five and a half feet tall, with thick black hair and thick glasses. However, he was reluctant to have his picture taken by Generation photographers because he does not want to stand out around the university.

“I just want to lay low,” he said.

Once the weekend comes around, Michael either goes home to visit his parents, or he stays and hangs out with his friends. One popular activity is playing the video game Halo, although alcohol does make an appearance at some parties. Michael politely rejects his friends’ offers to drink, resisting the pressure from older students.

With his 62 credits, Michael is not sure when he is going to graduate from UB.

“I want to do something with internet security, maybe tie in math,” he says, “I am still looking at job opportunities.”

In retrospect, Michael has no regrets about being home-schooled, which is what put him in his unique position.

“If I had to do it over again, I’d do it again,” he says. For now, Michael Rodgers is simply enjoying college life like any other student, regardless of his age.