We Need To Dismantle The Myth Of The 4-Year-Or-Less Undergrad Degree
Start writing a post
Life Stages

We Need to Dismantle the Myth of the 4-Year-Or-Less Undergrad Degree

The amount of time spent in college does not define someone's development into the best person they can be.

103
We Need to Dismantle the Myth of the 4-Year-Or-Less Undergrad Degree
Andre Hunter

There is a common experience among many American college students that as children, we were given the impression that the ultimate goal to achieve in order to secure our futures is to go to college and get a degree. However, since childhood, the meaning of going to college has evolved greatly. It is no longer about simply going to college.

With time, we begin to have expectations of our future performance, and we start planning things according to the oft perpetuated social ideal of having a college career that lasts no more than four years. Some even aspire to leave higher education as early as possible. Now that going to college has largely become a commonplace phenomenon, it is now inextricably tied with our sense of personal success.

As a result, those who take more time in college - those who divert from what we are brought up to believe is the norm - can often find themselves feeling a sense of shame or failure.

By calling the 4-year-or-less collegiate career into question, I am not insinuating that such a standard is completely obsolete. It does exist for a reason. Colleges and universities simply do not have the room to accommodate all students due to a lack of funding, housing, instructors, and staff, and institutions of higher education also face logistical difficulties when dealing with growing student populations. That being said, graduating in four years has never been about promoting the well-being, personal growth, or sustainability of a student's success. It has always been promoted against the backdrop of the system of education's inability to provide for everyone's needs.

The assumption of graduation in four years is absolutely based on the assumption that nothing will go wrong, which is unrealistic. I have experienced bumps along the road in my academic career, have had to withdraw from courses before, and have called my path of study into question - all events which could have caused me to need more than four years' time to complete my path of study.

However, despite my experiences and my desire to earn two degrees, I am still on track to graduate in four years. I am lucky because I am able to meet the standard of a four-year undergraduate tenure, and consequently, I've never experienced the emotions associated with diverting from the norm. The "bumps" I encountered are not uncommon - almost everyone going to or in college will or has experienced trials like I did - and they can easily cause one to need more time.

Mental health crises, separation from family for long periods of time, trouble transitioning to campus life, illness, financial difficulties, and other circumstances can pop up unexpectedly in anyone's life. While I was never placed in the position of having to take five years, the experiences of my friends and peers who feel pressured to "succeed" in four years, or find themselves in need of more time in order to graduate, has compelled me to think critically about how arbitrary the standard is.

Four years is a realistic goal for most college students, but this does not mean it is a possibility for everyone. Institutions still operate using the 4-year plan of study in a "one size fits all" manner, but in what world has anything advertised as "one size fits all" truly fit everyone? Those who do not meet the social standard of finishing college under such a constraint do not deserve to feel shame.

In my opinion, it is far more beneficial to go to take the time you need to finish strong than it is to rush through college to meet a somewhat arbitrary standard of academic completion. People who graduate in four years or less are not more likely to be successful than those who have needed more time. College students are not in a race to graduate before everyone else - we are each on a path of study in differing fields, opening different doors of opportunity, and embarking on a journey of self-discovery, mistakes, and lessons.

There is no timestamp in existence that can guarantee the fulfillment of a person because nobody is the same. This is why the expectation that you must finish college within a time-limit is a bad model to define success. Our society needs to work towards destigmatizing the act of taking more than four years to graduate; future generations do not need the additional burden.

To people in college who find themselves struggling, students who are questioning their paths, and those who are yet to enter college: You deserve to take as much time as you need in order to succeed. The artificial time constraint for academic performance that most schools operate under is not universally attainable, and you do not need to feel shame.

Your development as a person and your future successes are not defined by a date in a calendar. The work you put in and the qualities imbued in you through experience and learned material is what will result in your future achievements. Life is already difficult, so take the time to be kind to yourself and become the best person you can be.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

9017
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

Unlocking Lake People's Secrets: 15 Must-Knows!

There's no other place you'd rather be in the summer.

941510
Group of joyful friends sitting in a boat
Haley Harvey

The people that spend their summers at the lake are a unique group of people.

Whether you grew up going to the lake, have only recently started going, or have only been once or twice, you know it takes a certain kind of person to be a lake person. To the long-time lake people, the lake holds a special place in your heart, no matter how dirty the water may look.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 10 Reasons My School Rocks!

Why I Chose a Small School Over a Big University.

118101
man in black long sleeve shirt and black pants walking on white concrete pathway

I was asked so many times why I wanted to go to a small school when a big university is so much better. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure a big university is great but I absolutely love going to a small school. I know that I miss out on big sporting events and having people actually know where it is. I can't even count how many times I've been asked where it is and I know they won't know so I just say "somewhere in the middle of Wisconsin." But, I get to know most people at my school and I know my professors very well. Not to mention, being able to walk to the other side of campus in 5 minutes at a casual walking pace. I am so happy I made the decision to go to school where I did. I love my school and these are just a few reasons why.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lots of people sat on the cinema wearing 3D glasses
Pinterest

Ever wonder what your friend meant when they started babbling about you taking their stapler? Or how whenever you ask your friend for a favor they respond with "As You Wish?" Are you looking for new and creative ways to insult your friends?

Well, look no further. Here is a list of 70 of the most quotable movies of all time. Here you will find answers to your questions along with a multitude of other things such as; new insults for your friends, interesting characters, fantastic story lines, and of course quotes to log into your mind for future use.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments