Most college students are terrified of the idea of having to be a "real adult” and want college to last forever. However, I have a different outlook. I am choosing to graduate a year early, in order to save money and get a head start in my career field.
While still in high school I took 14 credit hours of college classes through my schools duel credit program with the local community college. This is something I highly suggest doing because it saves you a lot of money. Some programs even offer classes to high school students tuition-free if they are taking them through their high school.
Because I had almost a semesters worth of college completed I originally planned to graduate only a semester early. Once I got to my university though I realized that many of the classes I had to take were both general education requirements and requirements for my professional school, therefore I am fulfilling credits two at a time. So by the time I will be in my third and final year of school I will only be taking electives.
Another factor in my decision of graduating early was money.
College is so expensive and each year you are there you are required to pay all of the tuition and fees so graduating early will save me thousands of dollars in the long run. This isn’t only because I will not be attending my university for the fourth year, but also because I am taking college classes through a community college at the same time I am going to a university.
This summer alone I am taking nine credit hours at a community college near my hometown, where not only I get in-state tuition but in the county. Also, they are online classes so they are cheaper than taking classes on campus. I will be paying $40 per credit hour compared to $336 per credit hours at the university I attend.
Along with financial reasons for graduating early, I personally just don’t enjoy school. I have never been one who got excited learning or wanted to go to school because as my mom puts it, I'm just not an academic.
It's not that I am not smart, I just don't like doing meaningless assignments and busy work, which is the majority of what school is.
