7 answers
Adel
Student
Keansburg, New Jersey
2
Questions
Updated
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Is it worth graduating college early if you can?
I have the option of finishing college in only 3 years instead of 4 but I am getting a mix of options from that. My parents believe college should just be to go in and get out as fast as you can, but alumni and other adults say i should take the 4years to really live out my time and not rush the graduation. Thoughts? #college #college-advice
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7 answers
Jacob Schwarber, CPA
Finance Lead
130
Answers
San Francisco, California
Updated
Jacob’s Answer
Hi, Adel,
Deciding whether to graduate early is entirely based on your unique set of circumstances. Honestly, there isn't one right or wrong answer. Here are some thoughts I have after reading your question that might help you evaluate which option is best:
1) What is your financial situation? Will an additional year of school bear a heavier financial burden than your previous three years?
2) Is there a unique experience (e.g. study abroad opportunity), event (e.g. internship), or class occurring your fourth year of school that is important to you?
3) Do you already have a job lined up that you can start after graduating early?
4) Do you feel like you have gotten everything out of your college experience that you wanted to?
I linked two articles from Forbes and US News & World Report that discuss the benefits and drawbacks of graduating early. I think that the decision is really tough but I commend you for working hard and putting yourself in the position to graduate early. Doing so is no easy task - well done.
Good luck - I hope this answer helps!
Jacob recommends the following next steps:
I think Jacob nailed the answer.
Matthew Mesa
Jeanna Caban-Badillo
Quality Engineer
1
Answer
Puerto Rico
Updated
Jeanna’s Answer
Hi Adel!
This is of course, a personal decision that you must make on your own. But I would love to tell you about my personal experience as someone who spent a little bit more in college than my classmates, and I would say I regret nothing. By staying a little bit more in college I got to do more Internships/Co-ops that ultimately led me to land an excellent position even before I graduated. I got to participate in more extracurricular activities that also helped me to develop my leadership skills, taught me to communicate better and also met wonderful people along the way. These experiences helped me so much to shape the woman and professional I am right now.
Certainly not everyone will have the same experiences neither in College or in life. My advice to you is regardless of how soon you plan to graduate, be sure to make time for internships. That will help you to get a job faster if that is what you are looking for. And if you believe that in 3yrs you will do everything you aim for in college then go for it.
Enjoy this journey as much as you can. Hope this helps and I wish you the best!
https://thecollegeinvestor.com/20266/graduate-college-three-years/
This is of course, a personal decision that you must make on your own. But I would love to tell you about my personal experience as someone who spent a little bit more in college than my classmates, and I would say I regret nothing. By staying a little bit more in college I got to do more Internships/Co-ops that ultimately led me to land an excellent position even before I graduated. I got to participate in more extracurricular activities that also helped me to develop my leadership skills, taught me to communicate better and also met wonderful people along the way. These experiences helped me so much to shape the woman and professional I am right now.
Certainly not everyone will have the same experiences neither in College or in life. My advice to you is regardless of how soon you plan to graduate, be sure to make time for internships. That will help you to get a job faster if that is what you are looking for. And if you believe that in 3yrs you will do everything you aim for in college then go for it.
Enjoy this journey as much as you can. Hope this helps and I wish you the best!
Jeanna recommends the following next steps:
Michael O'Connor, PHD, MSPM, MSTM, MBA, PE
Director
1
Answer
Minnesota, Minnesota
Updated
Michael’s Answer
Hello Adel,
I believe it depends on what you goals are. Do you want to pursue a degree past this one in the future? Are you a lifelong learner? Do you have career goals in which you need to finish you degree early? Is there an opportunity that you have in mind already?
Regards,
Michael
I believe it depends on what you goals are. Do you want to pursue a degree past this one in the future? Are you a lifelong learner? Do you have career goals in which you need to finish you degree early? Is there an opportunity that you have in mind already?
Regards,
Michael
Rebecca Tabbert
Program Manager and Engineer
4
Answers
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Updated
Rebecca’s Answer
First all, being able to graduate early is a enormous feat so huge congrats to you to be able to do so! One thing to potentially keep in mind is whether you think you would purse a masters degree in the future after you get real world work experience. I personally graduated in 4 years and then started a graduate program half time after working in industry for 5 years. Financially my company payed for part of my schooling and I was able to have a quick return on investment through a job promotion.
Overall, the learning never stops once you leave college; its more of whether you learn through experience/exposure on the job or through more educational setting (schooling, formal training). Hope this helps!
Overall, the learning never stops once you leave college; its more of whether you learn through experience/exposure on the job or through more educational setting (schooling, formal training). Hope this helps!
Vic Wong
Management Consulting
77
Answers
Liverpool, New York
Updated
Vic’s Answer
Hi,
I debated the same exact thing in my undergraduate career. It really depends on the financial ability for you to stay the extra year. I was told the same thing by my parents and peers. I ended up staying the full 4 years and going abroad during the last year. As a new graduate working now I do not regret my decision to stay the full 4 years as I realize now that the time spent in college will rarely be comparable to any period of time later in life - as you age you get more responsibilities; in college you are the most free you'll ever be (in most situations). I would take that time and live it to the best of your ability.
I debated the same exact thing in my undergraduate career. It really depends on the financial ability for you to stay the extra year. I was told the same thing by my parents and peers. I ended up staying the full 4 years and going abroad during the last year. As a new graduate working now I do not regret my decision to stay the full 4 years as I realize now that the time spent in college will rarely be comparable to any period of time later in life - as you age you get more responsibilities; in college you are the most free you'll ever be (in most situations). I would take that time and live it to the best of your ability.
Stone Tanuvasa
Tech Support
14
Answers
Tucson, Arizona
Updated
Stone’s Answer
Hello, ultimately I believe there is no "right answer" to this, because I think that regardless of what you choose as long as you're the one choosing it you will be good.
The first thing I want to address is money -- if you have enough money to stay another year/semester, that's all well and good, but if you (or any benefactors) could use that extra money then maybe it's best not to stay that long. Tuition alone can be so much that for me, for example, it would be better to spend as little time in college as possible.
However, part of the reason I would WANT to stay in college that long is for the experience; if I could go to school full time instead of working full time, I would do it 100%. College is the perfect place to start building adult relationships and really learning how to be truly independent, which I've found most students are not familiar with the true concept until after living away from the parental units for some time. I went to college in Idaho for a semester, and the bonds and ties I made with my peers was something I would never regret making. College is also a "safe-ish" space to make mistakes, and trust me; it's better to make mistakes while young and while there's time to learn from them. Also, just a side-tidbit: making mistakes is a good thing, because it means you are learning and improving -- just make sure to make mistakes quickly; do not linger on them.
Depending on what you're going to college for can also help determine whether or not to shorten your stay; if you have more complicated classes, it might be nice to spread out those classes over an additional year in order to take less classes at once which will allow you to focus more on the classes being taken. If you're really wanting to jump into the field you're interested in, then maybe you may want to finish school early so you can immediately get into the career you want to spend your life advancing in.
Lastly, you may not need to make this decision right now (unless you're coming into your 3rd year already). Maybe it's best to try out the waters first so you can get a feel for the entire experience before finalizing your decision. I prefer to go with the Rules of 3; 3 days to get a feel for your environment; 3 weeks to get a feel for a rhythm/what to expect during your stay; 3 months to finalize/organize your thoughts and experiences at which point is a good enough to know what college life will be at, which maybe will be easier to decide for you at that point.
Confirm your Available Funds for schooling
Review which Required Classes you need to take
Assess the difficulty of your classes and how spread out you want them
MAKE MISTAKES -- LEARN FAST FROM THEM
Make sure YOU are the one deciding and not letting someone else decide for you; this is YOUR life
The first thing I want to address is money -- if you have enough money to stay another year/semester, that's all well and good, but if you (or any benefactors) could use that extra money then maybe it's best not to stay that long. Tuition alone can be so much that for me, for example, it would be better to spend as little time in college as possible.
However, part of the reason I would WANT to stay in college that long is for the experience; if I could go to school full time instead of working full time, I would do it 100%. College is the perfect place to start building adult relationships and really learning how to be truly independent, which I've found most students are not familiar with the true concept until after living away from the parental units for some time. I went to college in Idaho for a semester, and the bonds and ties I made with my peers was something I would never regret making. College is also a "safe-ish" space to make mistakes, and trust me; it's better to make mistakes while young and while there's time to learn from them. Also, just a side-tidbit: making mistakes is a good thing, because it means you are learning and improving -- just make sure to make mistakes quickly; do not linger on them.
Depending on what you're going to college for can also help determine whether or not to shorten your stay; if you have more complicated classes, it might be nice to spread out those classes over an additional year in order to take less classes at once which will allow you to focus more on the classes being taken. If you're really wanting to jump into the field you're interested in, then maybe you may want to finish school early so you can immediately get into the career you want to spend your life advancing in.
Lastly, you may not need to make this decision right now (unless you're coming into your 3rd year already). Maybe it's best to try out the waters first so you can get a feel for the entire experience before finalizing your decision. I prefer to go with the Rules of 3; 3 days to get a feel for your environment; 3 weeks to get a feel for a rhythm/what to expect during your stay; 3 months to finalize/organize your thoughts and experiences at which point is a good enough to know what college life will be at, which maybe will be easier to decide for you at that point.
Stone recommends the following next steps:
Jonathan Maleska
Engineer
2
Answers
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Updated
Jonathan’s Answer
I agree with Jacob's answer. I was in the opposite situation as yours and debating whether to push my graduation back a semester. I was given the following advice that helped bring clarity to my decision:
College is about 4 years. People have working careers of 20, 30, 40+ years. When you compare that semester or year to college, it seems extreme. When you think about it compared to your career timeline, it is not as significant.
I would point back to Jacob's thoughts again with this lens. It may bring clarity to what is most important. For me, I delayed my graduation by a semester to pursue an opportunity that I would have missed otherwise.
College is about 4 years. People have working careers of 20, 30, 40+ years. When you compare that semester or year to college, it seems extreme. When you think about it compared to your career timeline, it is not as significant.
I would point back to Jacob's thoughts again with this lens. It may bring clarity to what is most important. For me, I delayed my graduation by a semester to pursue an opportunity that I would have missed otherwise.