<p>How's it going? </p>
<p>Currently majoring in Computer Science with a focus on Software Engineering. I mapped out all the courses I would need to complete the major including gen ed's and all that (120 credits) and found out it is possible for me to finish up by spring 2016. </p>
<p>Some back story:</p>
<p>Graduated high school in '12, took a semester off, finished up this spring semester with 12 credits, and now transferring to a new school.</p>
<p>So I was considering taking 20 credits for 3 semesters, and for another 3 semesters taking only 16 credits. Which gives me 108 credits total, so 108+12= 120 herp derp. (My university's classes are all 4 credits, so it's 20 credits is 5 classes, which isn't too bad.)</p>
<p>ANYWAY, what I'm getting at is... I could either finish up in three years while taking a slightly rigorous courseload, or finish up in four years taking a slightly less rigorous courseload.</p>
<p>I come from a poor family, and did poor in high school, so I inevitably have to resort to loans. ~15k per year in loans to be precise. </p>
<p>Some questions:</p>
<p>Is another 15k plus interest worth lessening the workload, and having a longer social experience?</p>
<p>Do seniors in college feel an urgency to get out, or do you enjoy it all the way through?
Please don't reply with (it depends.)</p>
<p>bro. I know it depends, that's partly why I'm getting some insight from you.</p>
<p>thanks!</p>
<p>This is really a personal decision that needs to be made with your family as the additional debt that you take on is significant. What only you can answer is whether taking the heavy academic load will cause your grades, and consequently your initial job prospects, to suffer. If you can maintain your academics with the heavier schedule, then you win twice, by taking on less loans and by starting earn a salary one year earlier.</p>
<p>An alternative might be to look into a co-op program that would let you take the courses at a more relaxed pace but also earn some money while doing the work part of the co-op.</p>
<p>you would probably be happier/less stress during college if you take the four year route, but you would owe more money after you graduate. most people enjoy every year of college i think, i never heard of the “urgency to get out”.</p>
<p>imo, i would take the 4 year route. you won’t regret making your life happier. you are already going to have a lot of student loans anyway.</p>
<p>I graduated early and I have never regretted it. Think about what your alternatives are, what else you’d like to do if you weren’t spending a 4th year in college.</p>
<p>After I graduated in 2.5 years, I spent 6 months serving the Baha’i Faith and living in India. After that I spent a year at Berkeley and earned a masters degree with a full tuition scholarship plus a nice stipend to live on. I learned more about myself and the world in those six months in India and nearly more academically in the masters program than I did in 2.5 years as an undergrad. Yes, I had to say goodbye to some undergrad friends, but I made many new wonderful friends in India and Berkeley.</p>
<p>College is great. It’s hard to say goodbye to unless you stop and realize all the other wonderful possibilities that are out there.</p>
<p>My advice: go for it. Aim to graduate in 3 years. </p>
<p>If you are worried about your grades slipping or not finding a wonderful next step after graduation, see if you can stay on where you are for a masters degree. Who knows, if things don’t go as well as you hoped, you might only get out in 4 years with a bachelors and a masters degree?</p>