It has been preached to us since high school, signing up for those expensive dual-credit and Advanced Placement courses, that these courses could help us graduate early. Even with the growing number of students taking the advanced high school classes, not nearly as many are using them to graduate early. There are many reasons why these students are opting not to, and plenty that should make you consider it.
Advantages to Graduating Early:
Money!!!
This, by far, has to be the most popular reason to graduate early. Whether you are attending an out-of-state school, private, or even in-state, graduating a semester or year early can save you thousands of dollars that you can put towards paying off loans, graduate school, or simply to start off your real-adult savings.
Looks Great on a Resumé
Whether applying for a job or furthering your education, any interviewer will find graduating in three years or three and a half years impressive. It shows great organization, demonstrates hard work, and shows your dedication to your studies. Any employer or acceptance committee will see that and want someone who is that hard working in their establishment. Slap on some extra curricular activities and a leadership position here and there to show that you did more than sit in your dorm room and study and you’re golden!
Develop Great Habits
Taking 18 credit hours a semester, working maybe 10-15 hours a week, involved in a club or two, you are bound to pick up some good time management habits, or you simply won’t be able to make it. You will discover great organization tricks when you have two exams this week, need to have that paper edited for work, have to attend that guest lecture with your club, and, oh yeah, that essay that is due Monday! These skills will stick with you and you’ll be able to apply them to all aspects of your impending adult life.
Disadvantages to Graduating Early
Missing the "Best Years of Your Life"
People say college are some of the best years of your life, but also the fastest. Cut a year from it, and suddenly college becomes that bus that races past you on the street. It can be hard to get everything you want out of college when you will be there for less time than everyone else. It can be really hard to fit everything you want into just three or three and a half years, both due to time or workload.
Workload
Speaking of the workload, it is no joke. Your friends will be complaining about all their work in their 4 or 5 classes and you physically won’t have time to argue with them or you’ll be late to Class Number 7. You will become so accustomed to never having a break, that having one will be such a foreign concept. That hungover frat guy from your floor will tell you that college is supposed to be fun, but what isn’t fun about three all-nighters in a row?
Little Freedom in Classes
Because you are graduating early, you need to find a way to fulfill all those graduation requirements in a shorter period of time. That often means filling elective spaces with classes that can double count for your degree. If you are trying for a minor, certificate, or maybe even another major, you will need to play the most intricate game of real-life college course Tetris that has ever existed. Because of this, you won’t be able to take all those fun classes you hear your peers taking. Say goodbye to Rock n’ Roll 101 and Pixar Movies Seminar. The key is finding interesting classes that fulfill criteria in your requirements matrix. They may not be as fun, but they will at least keep you interested and allow you to graduate early like you planned.
Yes, graduating early can be be a daunting task and force you to work maybe more than you have before, but that hard work can set you up for great success as you move on in your career. Graduating early sets you apart from other college students and gives skills to make your life beneficial.
