<p>What are the pros and cons of graduating early from college?</p>
<p>Let's say your child has the opportunity to graduate a semster early. Would you recommend this? What if the child wants to stay the full 4 years?</p>
<p>Most companies are geared to hire in the Spring so you could miss out on some jobs.</p>
<p>If you have money to pay by all means let your child enjoy good time. They also can take some classes just for fun and maybe discover some of new interests.
It is not going happen to my kid as she palnning on graduate school so every $$ will come handy.</p>
<p>Lindalana, your child will be graduating early?</p>
<p>I just want to take fun electives. I actually don't feel excited about getting a new job after college.</p>
<p>I personally don't see the point in racking up a lot of debt just because you don't want to leave college-
$15,000 is more dbt than my D will have after she graduates, let alone what it cost her for an extra quarter that she doesn't need for her major
Goodness, you must have had luck on your side to afford the tuition. I'm looking at $15,000 that I know I cannot afford for 3 months.</p>
<p>I have thought about this a bunch and still do not know where I come down on this. Financially it is much easier if a student graduates in 3 years instead of 4. However, I do not think they should miss this important component of their life.</p>
<p>Many schools have a 5 year masters program. Considering the above I would recommend that option . . . at least at this point in time.</p>
<p>I had the option of graduating early or staying my senior year & graduating with honors. The college offered me sufficient financial aid so they essentially paid for my senior year, so I stayed & created an honors program in my major & graduated with honors & took courses I enjoyed as well as writing my honor's thesis. It was a great year & I learned a lot about writing a thesis & doing research & got to know the faculty well, since they were my advisors on my thesis. (I took one fun course every term + thesis--bowling, jewelry making, snorkeling, etc.) I applied to & was accepted to enter law school in the fall with everyone else, so there was no "gap time" officially in my education, tho I admit I didn't work all that hard writing my thesis & enjoyed the leisure to take courses I would never have otherwise.</p>
<p>My brother went to a very expensive, prestigous school as an undergrad & was able to graduate early. He got no aid & my foks wanted him to graduate early, so he came home after graduating with honors in the winter & took additional classes at the local state u & worked & applied for & attended med school in the fall. Both of us were satisfied with our choices.</p>
<p>Another friend's son had the option of graduating early or graduating in 4 years with a bachelors + masters. He is graduating with both degrees in 4 years & going on to grad school thereafter.</p>
<p>There are a lot of factors to weigh, including financial considerations. No one can really make the choice for another, but it's good to have a thorough discussion of the options, including what financial aid (if any) the school will offer under the different options.</p>
<p>Emerald, I'm scheduled to graduate March 2007 but I want to stay the whole year. What point is it for me to sit at home when I can be taking interesting electives and finish an honors thesis my last quarter of senior year?</p>
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What point is it for me to sit at home when I can be taking interesting electives and finish an honors thesis my last quarter of senior year?
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<p>You've hit it on the nail. My S, who could not wait to graduate early from high school, is adamant that he wants to stay all four years in college. There are so many many courses that he wants to take, it's a wonder that he will be able to take them all in four years!</p>
<p>Marite, I'm looking at the job market. Almost every place I want to work back home is either unpaid or the city has eliminated funding for those departments. One time, I visited the museum where I used to work, and I learned that they downsized and eliminated the internship program. The city is in red ink. I hear "Don't come back here." Let me stay in school!</p>
<p>Also, I am a double major and will like to take more practical courses before I hit the "real world." Employers will not care about my liberal arts majors.</p>
<p>I would suggest either an internship in your field during one of the quarters, so that you graduate in June, or taking classes which might help you in a future career or grad school. I wouldn't suggest rushing to get out of school -- the rest of your life will have enough real world challenges. Why not take advantage of this wonderful interlude in your life?</p>
<p>Thank you, SJMom. That is what I plan to do. Now, if only I can petition the school to give me financial aid.....</p>
<p>I agree with SJmom. My daughter could graduate a semester early and we discussed this alot over Christmas. She finally decided to stay the whole 4 years mainly in order to finish with her friends and take some classes out of major that may help her either in job market or decide what she may want to do in grad school.</p>
<p>The problem with graduating early is that you cut yourself off from support for the last semester, including the all important career help. If you can guarantee that you will hav a job lined up before you leave, and/or that you will be accepted to a graduate program the next year, sure, but otherwise, it is very, very difficult to leave a $40,000 a year school in December without a job, and move back home, away from the career center, career counselling, as well as all of the fun stuff that happens the last semester/quarter of senior year. </p>
<p>The last three months of college are aalso very important developmentally and socially. It is the last chance for your cohort to bond, often there are really fun events planned, bar nights and social stuff, and of course, senior week at the end, which, if your college does this, you definitely want to be around for.</p>
<p>Your town is not going to become prosperous again in one term. Maybe it's time to face that to do what you want to do might mean leaving Kansas for good.</p>
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My S, who could not wait to graduate early from high school, is adamant that he wants to stay all four years in college. There are so many many courses that he wants to take, it's a wonder that he will be able to take them all in four years!
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<p>Ditto :)</p>
<p>D had to graduate early, and she did not like it. Neither S wants to do it, college is way too interesting...</p>
<p>I wouldn't graduate early and just go back home with nothing lined up. I think there are many factors to weigh and options of how best to spend that time. I graduated college a half year early but got a job in my field for the second half of that year, and attended graduation. I stayed in the same area. I then worked a different job in my field the following year (the so called year off) and then went to graduate school the year after that. Each situation is different. There is no need to rush college but if you have the credits to graduate and have some worthwhile plans in mind to use the second half of that year, it may be a good option to consider. An internship in your field is one great way that I can think, that involves no tuition.</p>
<p>Susan</p>
<p>Soozie, an internship where? In the same town I attend college? Where will I stay? If I graduate early, 99.9% I will not stay. I have no family in the surrounding school area. I will return home where the economy is very poor and tight.</p>
<p>I think I am thre only one n your age group replying. Actually, I'm just applying to college and away at boarding school. The town where my mom lives has no jobs and probably won't when I graduate from college. My dad lives i8n NYC where I'd rather not live.</p>
<p>I just think it's hard to believe in this day ahd age that college grds expect to return home. You hope4fully got an education that will be of use in different places around the globe. I go to school with kids who know at 14 that they will probably never work in their home town again. </p>
<p>You can hide away at college at a cost to your parents (and not tax payers) but not for long. As a high school junior I've spent a year in Europe, a month in India a summer in Guatamala....I've loved them all. Chin up and go have fun!!!!!!!!!</p>
<p>I took a semester off to do an internship, thus graduating with my class but not having to pay for the semester. Is this an opton? I had enough AP credits that I did not need the course credits.</p>