Many students, including myself are graduating college early. For some reason that is a very hard concept to understand and accept. Students, faculty, staff, friends, and family are constantly questioning and making unappreciated remarks to myself and other students who are graduating college early. Here are a select few things we are tired of hearing.
1. Why are you graduating early?
This is the most popular of all questions. The answer varies from student to student, but one of the most common, sensible answers is to save time and money.
2. How are you graduating early?
Remember all those dreadful AP classes or dual enrollment programs? Well, they finally came in handy! With those credits along with a little bit of extra work and course overload, you can cut out a few semesters of college.
3. You're going to miss out on your college years!
Don't get me wrong, I love college and these three years are going to be some of the best years of my life, but your life doesn't end when you graduate, it begins. Some students are simply ready for new beginnings.
4. How do you plan on supporting yourself at such a young age?
Graduating early is no easy task, more than likely you have a killer support system of some sort, which will definitely be there for you once you graduate. Also, students with the ability to work hard and graduate early are very good candidates for awesome jobs after graduation.
5. You can't handle your course load.
This is the thing I'm personally most tired of hearing. Colleges will not allow students to take a course loads that are not possible or healthy. Students know what they can handle and will definitely surprise you.
6. How can you enjoy college if you're always under so much pressure?
Some people do better under pressure. Students graduating early chose this pressure. I can also testify that every student I know, including myself, is involved on campus doing things they enjoy and absolutely loving their college experience.
7. You're going to regret going into the real world earlier than you have to.
Yes the real world is going to be hard and scary, but why wait? I can't run and hide forever, so I might as well put on my big kid pants and get my shit together sooner rather than later. Going into the real world earlier also means I reap the benefits of the real world longer than those graduating on time.
8. Good luck finding a job.
In my situation, joke's on you. I have a job waiting for me once I graduate, but in other students situations, job hunting is hard whether you graduate early, on time or late. Students who graduate early posses many qualities such as hard work, dedication, and organization that employers are looking for.
9. Which class are you in?
Technically we're our graduating class, but our hearts lie with the class we were supposed to graduate with.
10. You should just graduate on time!
Oh, I should? Okay. No, I'm going to graduate early and nothing anyone says will change my decision.
11. Are you sure it's worth it?
It isn't easy to graduate early. The heavier course load, the need for your plan to go exactly as planned, leaving friends, graduating with an unfamiliar class, etc., but yes we are sure it is beyond worth it.
This one's for all of those graduating early who are tired of hearing these eleven things and many more! I'm very proud of you all and wish you nothing but success and happiness. Good luck!
P.S. Ignore the "haters." An advisor of mine once said, "If you have haters, you must be doing something right."
