<p>Hello everyone, I was wondering if I should complete my bachelor's degree under 4 years. I just recently graduated from high school and started college this fall. Upon entering I did not start out as a freshman, instead I started out as a sophmore. I did not know this until just recently when I checked that my AP credit had boosted me up to sophmore level. Know I dont know if I should graduate under 4 years or just stick with 4 years. </p>
<p>I think that I am just rushing myself if I graduate under 4 but i don't want to waste this oppurtunity. Also I graduated early from high school - i am suppose to be a senior right now. I feel to young in college. What should I do - should I graduate in 4 or under 4? Does anyone have any suggestions?</p>
<p>No way would I ever graduate in under 4 years. I am in my third year now and would hate for it to be my last. I'm just in no rush to be in the real world and am enjoying being a student.</p>
<p>I was in the same boat but finally decided to stay for the entire 4 years. Some of the reasons:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>I have more freedom choosing my classes. If I graduated in three years, I could take nothing but major and general education requirements. Now I can complete a minor and I can take more classes in my major which is a big plus for graduate school admissions.</p></li>
<li><p>I have more time for significant summer internships or research opportunities.</p></li>
<li><p>I have time to go abroad for a semester if I want to.</p></li>
<li><p>I have more time to develop relationships with friends and faculty (references!)</p></li>
</ul>
<p>When I was still in high school, I thought graduating from college early would carry some "prestige" and be looked upon favorably by employers. In reality employers don't really care or might even favor someone more mature and/or with a better background (more relevant coursework or internships). </p>
<p>Now I would only consider graduating early if it was a financial necessity or if I hated school, which I don't. There are too many interesting classes to take, too many parties to enjoy. Once I finish college I will spend 35-45 years in the workforce, getting up at 6 or 7am every morning with only 6 weeks off per year and possibly raising a family. Why not enjoy an extra hassle-free year while I can?</p>
<p>I went in with enough credits to be a sophomore, so I just took my time and took whatever classes were interesting to me. By the end of my third year I only needed one more class to graduate which was only offered in the fall, so I finished up after three and a half years. I'm pretty glad it worked out that way since I worked for a professor for nine months at my undergrad school prior to starting grad school in the fall. It offered me a lot more experience in lab research than I had gotten working during the semesters/summers prior, and it also gave me enough money to pay off my unsubsidized loans.</p>
<p>Depends a lot on your personal preferences. However, if there are no special issues, and you are enjoying the experience, why rush? You will never get this time back. I say enjoy it and make the most of it unless there are compelling reasons to do otherwise.</p>
<p>Me, personally, I wouldn't stay. You get a head start on making money and being in less debt. Getting a head start on saving for retirement, etc.</p>
<p>What I realized is that internships are really important. You should work in your field while going to college. If you have to graduate a little late it is worth it.</p>
<p>If you already have a job in your field and you are set after you graduate then it might be worth it graduating early.</p>
<p>For financial reasons it is best to either be a fulltime student and graduate in 3 years by taking extra classes or graduating a little late but working in your field while in college. The later is better. </p>
<p>Do not worry about college life. You can enjoy yourself after school also.</p>
<p>If you're in a tougher major like science or engineering, you could consider spreading out your classes and/or take easy electives alongside the harder ones.</p>
<p>Well, I'm in the same boat -- I could graduate in five semesters if I chose to, and even quicker if I go hardcore on summer school.</p>
<p>But, generally, if you start out with a big amount of advanced credit, does it pay off to stay all those four years to get more impressive undergrad qualifications?</p>
<p>blamu2, some high school courses count for college credit (e.g. "Advanced Placement" courses) and some students take college classes while they are still in high school (either just for fun or because they have taken the hardest courses that their high school offers before they are eligible to graduate from high school). That credit can be applied towards general electives that are required for a degree (I am sure you know that American colleges, unlike universities in most other countries, make you take a number of classes outside of your major.) </p>
<p>Some international students are awarded transfer credit for their high school work as well. For example, British A Levels, the French Baccalaureate and the German Abitur qualify for one to two semester's worth of transfer credit at most colleges.</p>
<p>Can people who have gone through this situation tell me whether it was worth it to stay back in school? Is it worth the money to aim for a more ambitious degree (two majors + 1 minor)? Or whether they didn't regret graduating early?</p>
<p>I could have possibly graduated in three years, but I would have had to work my butt off every semester and take one class in a long sequence a year early (my major has seven courses that have to be taken one semester after the other since they all build significantly off of the previous). I chose instead to graduate after three and a half years, and I don't regret my decision. I was able to tack on a physics minor without any real trouble and didn't have to crowd all of my classes in.</p>
<p>After graduating I got a job working in the lab of one of my professors full time for about nine months until I started grad school. It was nice because I was still in town with all of my friends and could hang out with them at night, but I didn't have any of the stress of classes and I was able to avoid senioritis by finishing in the fall.</p>
<p>The only thing I kinda regret was if I had planned a little better I could have gotten my MS with only one extra semester of classes, letting me graduate with a BS/MS in only four years. It might have helped me a little in grad school applications, and, even if it didn't, it might have gotten me out of a few classes here in grad school.</p>
<p>I can graduate in 3 years with just one more class, which I can take over winter break. Any class works, just to meet the minimum 128 credit requirement at my school.</p>
<p>However, the economy isn't doing so well and I was advised against it. It's so much harder to get a full-time job when everyone else has more work/internship experience than you. I'm just glad I'm not one of the seniors at my school completely freaking out in the job-hunting process right now. I'm thinking of getting a double major as well if I stay for all 4 years.</p>
<p>Is the economy really that bad?
I was going to stay for another until I talked to two grad students in my class who are working for the same company. One said that he was hired with no work experience and the other said that she interned for them for 3 years. I dont think work experience is that relevant.</p>