I can graduate college early...but

Student Lounge College Life
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<p>I love my college. The staff is amazing and the students are great. However, I came to college with enough credits to graduate a year early (i'm technically a sophomore right now). Doing this would be cost efficient, I would be able to hop right into grad school where I plan on getting an MFA and then a PhD, but i'm nervous. I don't feel like I should be looking for grad schools to apply for already. I don't feel like I should be leaving my friends. I feel anxious. Is this a normal senior feeling or might it be because i'm not ready to leave? Maybe I will be next year. Should I continue on the track i'm on so I can graduate early? I have a great social life so school work is not killing me. Should I just relax and stay all four years? I would just be taking fun extra courses for no reason. I know that you can't make the decision for me, but some input would be great and would probably calm my nerves down. </p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

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<p>Is money an issue? That would be a reason to consider graduating early.
But there are lots of reasons to stay for the full 4 years, a lot of which you mentioned - getting the full college experience and graduating with your friends; having a chance to take some interesting electives, a minor, or study abroad; not feeling ready or certain of the next stage yet. Don’t feel like you have to graduate early because you can.
On the grad school front, do you feel like your 3 years will be sufficient to give you enough experience to be a strong applicant for graduate schools? Spending time in that extra year to get research experience or adding a minor could be time very well spent, while having fun.</p>

<p>Also, you’re in your first year right now. This isn’t something you have to decide yet. For now, I would say sign up for spring classes as if you were trying to graduate in three years, to keep that option open. Keep thinking about the pros and cons, and go talk to an advisor or career counselor for advice. (Since I’m guessing it’s getting close to registration, they tend to be swamped now, so you might want to wait until after class sign-up is finished.)</p>

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<p>Any chance that if you stay for four years you could get your MFA where you are? Maybe you can take graduate level course within the four years. Talk to an advisor about that? Many schools have combined undergrad/grad programs that shave time off the process.</p>

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<p>@Nanotechnology,</p>

<p>I’m not a freshman, I’m a sophomore and I have the chance to graduate next year (spring '15) . I technically only need 3 more semesters. Thank you for your input! I didn’t entirely realize that I could do this until a few weeks ago, I had been planning on leaving only a semester early but this arrived as a possibility. For an MFA, I feel as if I need to be old and have seen the world, it just feels very strange, and I would love to build up my portfolio, but as of next semester I would have taken all the courses I need in creative writing, so I could grow on my own but not in a classroom. One of the reasons I’m considering this is because I want to continue my studies, but it can’t be done at my school. </p>

<p>@Kiddie,</p>

<p>My school has a few MA programs, but not any MFA programs, and I’m trying to get into a 2 or 3 year program which is not offered here.</p>

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<p>Just some information</p>

<p>I’m in my second year of college, I graduated high school in 2012. I came in with enough credits to graduate a semester early from college. I need to average 30 credits this year and next year to graduate a semester early, but my adviser told me that I can be done by next year if I take an extra 12 credits somewhere else, about 10 of the classes I need to take are for electives (so a random philosophy or literature course would be fine), so I could take these classes anywhere, i’ll probably take my extra 12 credits online during the summer. My adviser helped me to plan it out right down to the last credit. I would be a senior who has completed their coursework by the end of next year. </p>

<p>That’s just some background, but my original questions is still an issue for me. My parents are encouraging it, my adviser just doesn’t want me to take no more than 18 credits at any given time, which i’m totally okay with :P</p>

<p>Academically, i’m doing pretty well, but it’s the emotional state i’m worried about. I would be 20 and out of college and on my own in some place far away from home and friends. Or I could take a gap year to relax and think. I’m just not sure. The advice of others helps me to put things in perspective. So thanks to the above comments. Anybody else?</p>

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<p>If you don’t want to graduate early why don’t you just…not graduate early? Don’t take the 12 credits over the summer. Fill your semester full of classes that you’re interested and graduate when you want to. </p>

<p>I second nano with exploring more of what college offers. If you haven’t studied abroad or taken advantage of research/shadowing opportunities. Do it and don’t graduate early.</p>

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<p>Niquii77,</p>

<p>I’m just not sure if I want to do so or not. I’m studying abroad for a bit next semester and i’ll be doing research next fall.</p>

<p>I’ll talk to my adviser some more about it. I’m not sure what I would be after next year (year wise, senior/super-senior etc), I probably need to get more informed.</p>

<p>Thanks for your input. It was helpful getting some other opinions :)</p>

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<p>When I was in undergrad, I could have graduated with a double major in three years with no summer classes, if I had really tried to, but I ultimately decided to do four years, mostly because I didn’t know what I wanted to do when I graduated. Looking back on it, it probably wouldn’t have mattered too much if I had graduated in three or four years, just do what feels right for you. I know several people who graduated in three years–some just powered through to get it over with, some came in with a lot of credits. I know one person who regretted it (mostly because she loaded up on her classes and took full loads during summer, so I think she burned herself out); everyone else seemed fine with it. Most of them are working or doing some sort of gap year before applying to grad/professional schools.</p>

<p>In my opinion, the biggest pro is saving cost of tuition. But keep in mind, that graduating a semester early vs. graduating a year early may not make that much of a difference cost-wise or time-wise if you have to a full load of summer courses. I generally recommend against taking summer classes if students can avoid it. In my experience, they tend not to be as high quality courses over the summer (too little time to really learn the material, they rush through things or skip things, the professors may be newer or lecturers rather than tenure-track professors, etc). If cost isn’t a huge issue (or if the cost of taking classes over the summer vs. taking the extra semester isn’t too significant), I’d recommend against the summer classes and just graduating a semester early.</p>

<p>If you’re asking if you should stay the full four years, it really just depends. There are some opportunities that are a lot more accessible as an undergraduate student, but there’s no reason you can’t make opportunities for yourself after graduation. You said you wanted to build your portfolio–would that be easier to do as an undergraduate or after college? I’m in the sciences, and I generally recommend that students try not to graduate early, just because it can often be easier to get research experience as an undergraduate, rather than after college. I don’t think I’m in your field, though, so I don’t know what building your profile entails necessarily, but if it could just as easily be accomplished after college, then sure, graduate early.</p>

<p>You could have a gap year after college to strengthen your application for grad school and for applying to schools–that way you wouldn’t have to apply while your still in school, which is a definite headache. I know students who graduated early and did research abroad or service programs or did a BS/MS program and got their master’s in that fourth year.</p>

<p>Could you perhaps study abroad for a longer period of time (a semester or even a year)? That might be a good use of your time since you said you wanted to travel.</p>

<p>If you’re only concerned about being 20 when you graduate–well, the emotional difference between 20 and 21 really isn’t that significant. I wouldn’t be too concerned about that. Any growing up you need to do can be done after college as easily as it can be done during college.</p>