<p>I've heard plenty of horror stories about bureaucracy and budget cuts getting in the way of a 4 year graduation and I'm planning on doing a degree in 3 years, much less 5. I do have exemptions from a lot of freshman courses so I can save time, but honestly, is it really common to not be able to graduate within the time frame you have planned due to a shortage of classes?</p>
<p>I'm an international, so honestly, each semester means around 30k more, which is A LOT of money. How many people do you know who've had to do an extra semester due to the classes they need being full? Is this common? Or does the majority get all the classes they need to take and graduate within 3-4 years?</p>
<p>Er… I could have graduated in 2 years if I so chose… =___=</p>
<p>The people who need 5 years fooled around for the first 2 years not knowing what they wanted to do and then decided on something their 3rd year, and the panicked and blamed it on the system.</p>
<p>Honestly, 3 years is fine for most majors (not pre-med or haas). Some EECS people graduate in 3 years too.</p>
<p>I, for one, am double majoring, and that will still only have 3.5 years… </p>
<p>I’ve gotten into every class I needed. The only waitlist I’ve been in was for PE… and I got in on the first day :S so… yeah :)</p>
<p>I mean, it all depends on you. You can graduate from EECS in 3 years and make it into MIT for grad school, not like I haven’t seen it happen.</p>
<p>You absolutely don’t need 5 years to finish a degree. Degrees at Berkeley strike me as having way fewer requirements for the major, and the breadth requirements can pretty much be “BS-ed”…</p>
<p>If you have exemptions from a lot of frosh courses, you’re way more than fine.</p>
<p>I was talking to a current student who double majored and is very active in leadership at Berkeley as well. She stated that even with a double major, she would’ve only graduate a semester late (past 4 years), but she did 1 semester in the summer to make up for it and is going to graduate on time. </p>
<p>I’m going to be taking summer sessions anyway because I would rather be in Berkeley than where my parents live, and I would also rather be studying lol (I know that sounds weird and I’m not a total nerd or anything…people at my school probably don’t even think I got in anywhere good). But yeah, if you take a summer session when you get behind, I don’t think you would have to stay behind a fifth year. But I’m not even at Berkeley yet…that’s all what I’ve “heard.”</p>
<p>Thanks everyone, looks like my fears are unfounded.</p>
<p>Just wondering, if I were planning to take Haas + Applied Math double degree, will I be on track to graduate in around 3 to 3.5 years? What about Econ + Applied Math?</p>
<p>I’m going to try and start taking higher div classes in my sophomore year after I get all my prereqs out of the way, although i heard this can be difficult because they usually reserve more spots for juniors and seniors who need these classes to graduate. Not impossible though, right? Is the allocation of classes dependent on luck, first-come-forst serve, academics or what? I heard it depends on how early your TeleBears appt is, and the better your academics are, the earlier you can register (and have a higher opportunity of getting the classes you want)?</p>
<p>In the math department, it is extremely unlikely you will have serious issues finding classes to take. It’s all on the other major you do. Graduating in 3 years with a math degree is incredibly feasible.</p>
<p>Great! Thanks mathboy98, looks like I’m all set. Does anyone know whether it’s possible to graduate from Haas in 3 years, though? Maybe I will get most of the math out of the way, and concentrate mainly on Haas reqs during junior year to graduate? Is that feasible? Thanks!</p>