Most students will spend about four years in college while others may take more or less time. In my case, it's more...much more. My experience is additionally unique in that I transferred from another school. And while my path is not typical, others like me might relate to the advantages and struggles of this situation.
Pros
1. More time
Since you're already graduating late, you don't have to worry about piling on the hours or fitting in lots of extracurriculars. Just because it's tradition doesn't mean you're required to complete all your credit hours within four years. I relish the fact that I can relax, take classes at my own pace, and milk the college experience for all it's worth! Bring on the house parties.
P.S. This also means added opportunity for studying abroad! While you can certainly do this post-graduation, studying abroad through a university has its perks when it comes to financing.
2. Clear plans
If you transferred from a community college like I did, you had the benefit of more time to spend at home deciding what exactly it is you want to do. When I graduated from high school, I only had a vague idea of the majors I was interested in. Spending two years at a community college allowed me to fully plan out what university I wanted to attend and what profession would be best for me. Plus, staying at home for two years before moving to university means two extra years of home-cooked dinners!
3. No Dorms
Since I spent my freshman year outside of a standard university, I wasn't obligated to stay in a dorm after transferring. Sure, it's a quick way to make friends, but such close quarters can end up feeling a little too friendly. No dorms mean no loud, drunk suite mates, no five flights of stairs and no early morning practice fire drills.
4. When I say I'm a super senior, I don't mean I'm graduating a semester or two late. I'm graduating two years late. But since I'm a little older than the average college student, I can revel in the fact that I'm pretty well-versed when it comes to finding my way around campus, enrolling in classes and avoiding the constant stream of bible study invitations and housing flyers. Not only that, but I have to admit it's pretty fun to people-watch the freshman babies.
Cons
1. Money
Of course, deciding to attend a university means you must also be willing to pay some pretty large fees—whether that's now, or years down the line. Additionally, if you're also a super senior and will be attending college longer than usual, this means even more money. But don't despair! If you look hard enough and make the effort to apply, there are many scholarships and loan forgiveness programs available to you.
2. More time
While this can be seen as a positive aspect of the transfer student/super senior situation, it can also be a negative. If you're the type of person who hates to wait and wants to get things done as quickly and efficiently as possible, the phrase "taking your time" might not appeal to you. In that respect, the thought of more college class time and a later graduation date could feel more disheartening than relieving.
3. Instability
Changing direction and going outside of your comfort zone is primarily a good thing. However, transferring from one place to another in any situation will set you back a bit. Transferring means you must familiarize yourself with a new campus, new people, a new living situation and countless other aspects of life you were already comfortable with prior to switching schools.
4. Less time out in the field
If you are graduating late, that means you will be spending less time out in the workforce. While it is not a drastic amount of time to spend in school versus your profession, theoretically, that's a semester/year/two year's worth of earnings which will be going toward earning your degree rather than your savings or a down payment on a house (or your first month's rent if you're team millennial like me).
In short, if you are a non-traditional student that feels a little separated from the rest of your peers, take it from me—it's not all bad. Every circumstance has its downfalls, but transfer students and those graduating late have plenty of great things to look forward to.
