Should Students Try To Graduate From College In Less Than Four Years?

Guest blogger Anna Miller provides her views:

I’ve heard people boasting that they’ve earned their degrees in less than four years; of course, some of them are plain braggarts who are twisting the truth so that people will be impressed. But there are others who’ve graduated before their classmates because necessity demanded it. They either choose accelerated degrees or take extra courses every year so that they meet their requirements within four years. And if you’re thinking of going down this road and finishing college faster than usual, it’s best to know all the advantages and disadvantages that this process involves.

· As most of us know, finishing college in less than four years allows you to save on tuition costs and also get a job earlier.

· But on the downside, you would have to give up almost all your free time and slog through college without getting to enjoy all the social activities that it offers, the pleasure of hanging out with friends, or just goofing off once in a while.

· When you finish college early, you don’t get to graduate with your friends. When you move into the professional world earlier than they do, there’s a disconnect between you because they’re still in college without too many responsibilities, while you have your career to focus on and so gain a more serious outlook towards life.

· Your grades may not be as high as you would like them to be because you’re taking on too many courses and trying to pass all of them in your effort to finish college early.

· You may not gain the edge that you desire if your year of graduation coincides with an economic slump and jobs, especially the ones that pay well, are scarce.

· You may not be able to work your way through college if you’re going to spend all your time in class because you want to finish your degree early. So while you may save on tuition fees by finishing in less time than four years, you may ultimately lose out if you have to take out a loan and pay interest on it as well because you don’t have the time to work at a part-time job.

· You’ll have to give up on vacations and summer breaks if you want to graduate in less than four years because you have to catch up on your coursework and prepare for exams.

So unless there are compelling reasons for you to earn an accelerated degree, it’s best to think through the decision to graduate early before you choose this option.

By-line:

This guest post is contributed by Anna Miller, who writes on the topic of online degrees . She welcomes your comments at her email id: anna.miller009@gmail.com