Attending a four-year college is becoming more and more common for high school graduates. However, many high school seniors are coming into college with the expectation that they will be done and ready to graduate in exactly four years. If they take four classes a semester all of which are four credits each; after four years, this will equate to about 128 credits. This is roughly the amount of credits a student will need for them to attain a B.A. But, this is not a realistic goal anymore because only about 19% of students graduate in only four years, including me. So, there is no need for you to fret when you have to drop a class or decide to change your major. There are many people in the same spot as you. Not everyone has the same things going on in their life; people have different learning needs and circumstances to go to school under.
One of the biggest things that I think is important for parents to understand is that many current college students have to work part-time or even full-time to pay for college so the option of not working is not even an option in the first place. A generation or so ago when some of my peer’s parents went to college did not have to work which I am sure made it easier to get through the courses. I personally feel like if I did not have to work to pay for school then taking all four classes in one semester would be a lot easier. Unfortunately, I and many others do not have this option.
There are also factors that are out of the hands of students like when courses are offered or if they are not offered and a professor that does not fit well with your learning style. Not all the courses are offered every single semester so if you by chance miss the deadline to sign up for the class or the class is full then that can set you behind a class and sometimes delay your graduation. Also, some students turn to the idea of summer courses which is not a bad idea, however, the classes that are offered during the summer are not covered by any financial aid package so not every student could take advantage of summer classes.
Maybe your credits from another college did not transfer over or you just had a change of heart and changed major halfway through your sophomore year, all of this is perfectly ok I promise. I have personally dealt with some of these things and am managing to get through college just fine. Graduating college in any amount of time is an accomplishment in and of itself and your family will be just as proud of you either way.
