<p>Anyone ever done this or considered this?</p>
<p>I’m a HS junior right now and I am considering graduating in three years from college. Well, actually, I’ve decided to graduate in three years from undergrad and go to law school. Now when I look for colleges I might want to apply to, one of the first things I look at is the graduation requirements…</p>
<p>If anyone here has done this, I’d love to hear how it went for you.</p>
<p>I am considering graduating in three years. I can do it and still have a double major. </p>
<p>I started with 28 credits. Took 18 credits first semester, 16 credits this semester. I am studying abroad this summer so that is another 11 credits. By the time I come back this fall I will have 73 credits (120 needed to graduate). I will also have almost all of my requirements for my primary major done. </p>
<p>There really aren’t many advantages to me graduating early as I have scholarships to cover almost all of my costs and I really don’t want to graduate into this economic environment. Unless I have a job or internship or very nicely paid graduate school lined up after three years, I am probably going to graduate in 4 with a double major and a double minor.</p>
<p>i came in with 16 credits from APs and graduated in 3 years and then went to law school. wouldn’t say it’s too difficult, and i was in a top program and worked 20 hours a week. its all about time management. i was below the median for my school’s SATs score too so it’s not like i was a genius, and i managed to graduate in top 3% of my class. the secret to success in college is time management and start studying for exams early and don’t waste time on things like fb/cc for hours and you should be fine. granted i didn’t go out every weeknight but i would never study fri/sat nights. i also was not very involved in any school activities, but if i wanted to be i coulda just taken away from my work schedule i guess. i was also a little wise when scheduling my classes, making sure not to take too many major classes in one semester and did look for easy teachers and maybe to have one bs class each semester. my major is known to be difficult in my program so i didn’t really want really demanding electives.</p>
<p>it will be a bummer leaving school when a bunch of your friends are still there for another to hang out and live the good life.</p>
<p>Being an undergrad for only 3 years would suck. Unless you really don’t like college…which would suck too.</p>
<p>I love ug so much I’m staying for 5! haha</p>
<p>Unless you’re racking up crazy amounts of debt, I don’t really see a reason to graduate early. Get a double major, minor, whatever. Take 12 credits one semester if you feel like it. Intensively study the subject (beyond just requirements) you’re majoring in and get to know your professors. Get a job, hang out with friends, enjoy life. That’s how I’ve always seen it. It also depends on how you’re doing it. If you’re taking 18 credits + summer school every year, that’s different than using the 10000 AP credits you earned to give you junior status heading into your first year on campus. I’ve heard grad schools don’t like the second option, simply because you’re applying with a smaller body of work for them to look at.</p>
<p>For my kids I am recommending they do NOT try to graduate in 3 years.</p>
<p>Taking less than 4 years is typically a lot cheaper than taking 4 years to finish school … so if finances are a BIG deal than trying to finish quicker makes sense to me.</p>
<p>Otherwise it does not … for lots of reasons …
- taking courses in the summer instead of working is a bad trade IMO
- Overloading during semesters often lessens the learning experience in all classes
- Overloading during semesters often negatively affects the student’s GPA
- Trying to get out ASAP minimizes the “extra” courses out of the student’s major that the student can take … and in many ways I believe the courses that expand a student’s horizons are the most valuable.</p>
<p>5) Finally and most importantly … what’t the rush … this can play out two ways …</p>
<ul>
<li>3 years of college and 43 years of work until retirement</li>
<li>4 years of college and 42 years of work until retirement </li>
</ul>
<p>Personally, giving up a year of college for an extra year of work does not sound like a good trade to me … my totally unscientific memory on CC of folks who did college in less than 4 years is that the substantially majority would have preferred taking a full 4 years if they had the chance to relive that decision (or the finances to change the choice)</p>