Author Topic: Most college students don't earn degree in 4 years?!  (Read 21617 times)

Reepekg

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Re: Most college students don't earn degree in 4 years?!
« Reply #50 on: December 15, 2014, 03:51:02 PM »
Most Mustachian thing I ever did: graduated engineering in 3 saving $40k+ while playing an NCAA sport. Same high quality experience for less.

This mostly just works for kids who know exactly what they want already in high school. Even coming in with 26 AP credits, it was a close call with 1 summer course, ~18 credits per semester, and a certain C- in required Transport Phenomena II that was close to setting me back a whole year.

I'd love to present this as a financial option to my (future) kids, but I suspect it is the kind of thing you have to decide for yourself and not have thrust upon you.
« Last Edit: December 15, 2014, 03:59:49 PM by Reepekg »

Sibley

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Re: Most college students don't earn degree in 4 years?!
« Reply #51 on: February 10, 2015, 01:44:58 PM »
I went to a private women's college (yes, facepunch). Loved it there and got a great education. Graduated in 4 years, with 150+ credits, and was able to take the CPA exam right away (150 credits are required in almost every state to take the exam). I took 18/19 credits almost every semester, had an AP class transfer in, and did some summer school to get the credits.

Most people in accounting now are doing 5 year programs (Bachelor and Masters) to get the credits for the exam. So all in all, it could have been worse, though I'm still working on the student loans. 3 years until debt free.

FIreDrill

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Re: Most college students don't earn degree in 4 years?!
« Reply #52 on: February 10, 2015, 02:08:49 PM »
I will be graduating this spring with a B.S. degree. This is my 6th year but I used scholarships and employer educational assistance to pay for the majority of my college education (that was my goal the entire time).  I'll be graduating with a net worth of about 135k right after I turn 25 in May...  The issue isn't students taking longer than 4 years to graduate, it's students going to college when they don't know what they want to do with their life or how much of a return on investment their education will actually give them.  Sadly, many college decisions students make turn into huge uneducated financial decisions.

caliq

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Re: Most college students don't earn degree in 4 years?!
« Reply #53 on: February 10, 2015, 02:20:29 PM »
I will be graduating this spring with a B.S. degree. This is my 6th year but I used scholarships and employer educational assistance to pay for the majority of my college education (that was my goal the entire time).  I'll be graduating with a net worth of about 135k right after I turn 25 in May...  The issue isn't students taking longer than 4 years to graduate, it's students going to college when they don't know what they want to do with their life or how much of a return on investment their education will actually give them.  Sadly, many college decisions students make turn into huge uneducated financial decisions.

+100000

I graduated HS in 2009; so I should have graduated college...2 years ago this May.  I'll be graduating *next* May :( 

Granted, I didn't attend school for all of the intervening semesters (was working), transferred once, and changed majors like 4 times (3 changes were my first semester freshman year, when I entered college at 17 in the midst of some pretty heavy family issues...finally just went to General Studies or whatever and then changed it once last time once I found out what makes me tick). 

A lot of kids I graduated have done the same; taking a long time or not finishing at all.  That's what happens when you're brought up in a place/mindset where college is absolutely expected.  I wasn't asked "Are you going to college?", I was asked "Where are you going to college?" When I left school after my first semester and went to work, because I clearly had no idea what the hell I was doing in college, a lot of people from my high school/hometown were shocked and publicly expressed concern to my parents.  The idea of taking a year off to figure out how the real world works was absolutely a foreign concept. 

Also, my state flagship university is one of those discussed earlier -- they're scheduling freshman level required courses at like 6 am and 9 pm.  I sometimes have math exams from 9-11 pm (outside of normal class hours because they administer the exams to the entire cohort at once -- ie. everyone taking Calc II at the same time, not just one section at a time).  And then I have an 8 am the next morning, and I live a half hour off campus.

They admitted so many new freshmen a year or two ago that they told the ones who lived within 45 minutes that they HAD to live at home and commute;  they currently have half the local hotel rented out as dorm rooms for a couple hundred kids.  It's getting ridiculous.

CtrlMagicDel

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Re: Most college students don't earn degree in 4 years?!
« Reply #54 on: February 11, 2015, 09:12:16 AM »
It took me... 11 nonconsecutive years? Probably more like 9 if you count the 2 year or so break in between. Took me 3.5 years to get my A.S. in Computer Science from community college (wasn't able to get loans or grants most semesters due to parents having abysmal credit and not filing taxes a couple of times) so had to pay most of it in cash working massive hours at crap jobs. Got hired at my current employer about 4 months after getting my A.S. in a lower-level IT position and found out they had a tuition reimbursement plan (up to $5000 a year) for employees who had worked there for over a year. Took 2-3 classes a year on their dime as soon as I was eligible and got my B.S. in cSci from a cheap commuter college last year which is probably only relevant if I wanted to find another job and they screened out people without a piece of paper.

Started out in a lower paying position and had to do some miserable things before getting the IT job (working 50-60 hours while taking full time classes and 90-100 hours weeks between 3 jobs over a couple of summers) but never paid a cent of student loan interest. So I completely understand not earning a degree in 4 years. Learned waaaay more working than I ever did in school.

RedMaple

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Re: Most college students don't earn degree in 4 years?!
« Reply #55 on: February 11, 2015, 11:19:16 AM »
Yup, I also didn't finish college in 4 years. It took me 5, I transferred school for my 3rd year. I couldn't take more than 12 credits a semester - I tried, but my grades all dropped by a letter. I figured my GPA was more important than finishing in 4 years.

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Re: Most college students don't earn degree in 4 years?!
« Reply #56 on: February 14, 2015, 04:06:38 PM »
Many students at my (large public) university take more than 4 years. A certain number are working 30-40 hours a week and trying to be full time students at the same time. But others are just lazy, and refuse to register for classes that meet before noon, or on Fridays, so they put off requirements until the next term to see whether they can't get a better schedule. Me, I love to teach the early morning (8 or 9am) classes: low enrollments, clean classrooms, and smarter, more motivated kids. It's like the secret "real" university, hiding in plain sight. ;)
« Last Edit: February 14, 2015, 04:16:45 PM by AllezAllezAllez »

mnsaver

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Re: Most college students don't earn degree in 4 years?!
« Reply #57 on: February 15, 2015, 06:07:09 PM »
I took a ridiculously long time. I took 9 courses at CC before graduating high school. First class was in 1996 last one was 2013. Along the way I enrolled full time, dropped out, started at CC, dropped out again. Went to work full time, re-enrolled. Moved to another state and switched schools to get my bachelors. On the upside I have no student loan debt and recently bought a condo. In comparison to another person at my job who is my age, she just paid off her student loan and is starting to save for a house.

I think students would be better served w/out the expectation that college is expected. It would be far better to go out in the real world and then go back to school. It would save parents a lot of money too!

Bracken_Joy

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Re: Most college students don't earn degree in 4 years?!
« Reply #58 on: February 15, 2015, 06:16:44 PM »
It took me a while, and I went back for a second degree anyway. First degree was a STEM field, but still not as employable as I wanted. Part of why it took so long the first time: parents and siblings have health crises around this age group. And if yours don't (mine did) then your SO's do. I worked in addition to school. Etc. Many reasons for why.

willow

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Re: Most college students don't earn degree in 4 years?!
« Reply #59 on: February 15, 2015, 06:32:30 PM »
I don't understand the need for college to take so long. It seemed my education was chock full of superfluous extras that weren't necessary for my education. I think a bachelor's equivalent could easily be done in 2.5 years if you cut out all the waste, for most majors. By equivalent, I mean you'd get a student who is equally prepared for the workforce.

Tabaxus

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Re: Most college students don't earn degree in 4 years?!
« Reply #60 on: February 16, 2015, 07:37:15 AM »
I don't understand the need for college to take so long. It seemed my education was chock full of superfluous extras that weren't necessary for my education. I think a bachelor's equivalent could easily be done in 2.5 years if you cut out all the waste, for most majors. By equivalent, I mean you'd get a student who is equally prepared for the workforce.

Completely agree.  All of the "common core" type of stuff undergrads seeking technical majors are made to slog through is ridiculous.

Davids

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Re: Most college students don't earn degree in 4 years?!
« Reply #61 on: February 16, 2015, 08:26:30 AM »
I took 4 years which also included a summer internship and taking some summer courses at a local community college (credits transferred over to my university but taking them at the local community college was both cheaper and easier...)

Villanelle

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Re: Most college students don't earn degree in 4 years?!
« Reply #62 on: February 16, 2015, 08:33:07 AM »
I attended school full time, working part time, and it still took me more than 4 years.

I attended a state school and--Surprise!--funding was an issue.  So while
I don't understand the need for college to take so long. It seemed my education was chock full of superfluous extras that weren't necessary for my education. I think a bachelor's equivalent could easily be done in 2.5 years if you cut out all the waste, for most majors. By equivalent, I mean you'd get a student who is equally prepared for the workforce.

Completely agree.  All of the "common core" type of stuff undergrads seeking technical majors are made to slog through is ridiculous.



It's not trade school.  If you only want to learn the skill you seek, and nothing else, that's what trade schools do.  A Bachelor's degree is about learning in a specific area, but it is also about becoming a more educated, well-rounded person.  That's why English majors tke math and Math majors take history and history majors take geography.

Maybe what we want from our degrees is evolving, but that was the original intention and I think it was, and is, a good one. 

Tabaxus

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Re: Most college students don't earn degree in 4 years?!
« Reply #63 on: February 16, 2015, 09:08:07 AM »
I attended school full time, working part time, and it still took me more than 4 years.

I attended a state school and--Surprise!--funding was an issue.  So while
I don't understand the need for college to take so long. It seemed my education was chock full of superfluous extras that weren't necessary for my education. I think a bachelor's equivalent could easily be done in 2.5 years if you cut out all the waste, for most majors. By equivalent, I mean you'd get a student who is equally prepared for the workforce.

Completely agree.  All of the "common core" type of stuff undergrads seeking technical majors are made to slog through is ridiculous.



It's not trade school.  If you only want to learn the skill you seek, and nothing else, that's what trade schools do.  A Bachelor's degree is about learning in a specific area, but it is also about becoming a more educated, well-rounded person.  That's why English majors tke math and Math majors take history and history majors take geography.

Maybe what we want from our degrees is evolving, but that was the original intention and I think it was, and is, a good one.

It was a perfectly fine idea when it cost significantly less to go, and sure, maybe trade school is better.  However, as a practical matter, for many fields, the trade school alternative simply is not a good enough credential to get you in the door (rightly or wrongly).  And as long as education is as expensive as it is, people shouldn't be forced to take superfluous classes to check boxes, especially when anyone that is thinking about their resume rationally will take the easiest classes permitted to avoid having those add-on classes drag down the overall GPA/distracting from their real classes.  I have no problem with people being allowed to take these kind of classes, but at some schools, this "common core" stuff ends up being half (or more, at UChicago!) of total credits.
« Last Edit: February 16, 2015, 09:13:48 AM by Tabaxus »

willow

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Re: Most college students don't earn degree in 4 years?!
« Reply #64 on: February 16, 2015, 03:53:48 PM »
I attended school full time, working part time, and it still took me more than 4 years.

I attended a state school and--Surprise!--funding was an issue.  So while
I don't understand the need for college to take so long. It seemed my education was chock full of superfluous extras that weren't necessary for my education. I think a bachelor's equivalent could easily be done in 2.5 years if you cut out all the waste, for most majors. By equivalent, I mean you'd get a student who is equally prepared for the workforce.

Completely agree.  All of the "common core" type of stuff undergrads seeking technical majors are made to slog through is ridiculous.



It's not trade school.  If you only want to learn the skill you seek, and nothing else, that's what trade schools do.  A Bachelor's degree is about learning in a specific area, but it is also about becoming a more educated, well-rounded person.  That's why English majors tke math and Math majors take history and history majors take geography.

Maybe what we want from our degrees is evolving, but that was the original intention and I think it was, and is, a good one.

The argument is that you don't need a 4 year degree for most professions that currently require one and there is no alternative because of how the employment system is set up. Going to trade school is not acceptable for most professions and you will be looked down on for no logical reason. I find it akin to a status symbol that doesn't hold real value as to how much you are actually worth intellectually. I also don't think being a more "well rounded" person is being achieved by the current education system. You can tell a well rounded person when you meet them, and they didn't often become that way from their university education. Most likely, they were already avid consumers of educational media before attending university and will continue to do so after they have left.


willow

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Re: Most college students don't earn degree in 4 years?!
« Reply #65 on: February 16, 2015, 03:59:28 PM »
I don't understand the need for college to take so long. It seemed my education was chock full of superfluous extras that weren't necessary for my education. I think a bachelor's equivalent could easily be done in 2.5 years if you cut out all the waste, for most majors. By equivalent, I mean you'd get a student who is equally prepared for the workforce.

Completely agree.  All of the "common core" type of stuff undergrads seeking technical majors are made to slog through is ridiculous.
Speaking as a technical major though, I think that those writing and public speaking courses tend to be unappreciated until you are much farther along in your career.

I agree with you there. Noticing it immediately upon graduation that, at least in my school, career preparation(interviewing skills, how to dress, networking) was not as intense in the engineering school as it was for the business school.

To your point about the public speaking and writing, we get some really brilliant new hires who are a mixed bag when it comes to writing skills. On those grounds though, I would say if you want to be a good employee for most jobs you should have the kind of writing skills that allow you to clearly document what you have done and communicate properly with your team mates.

For public speaking, I think that can be taught down the road when or if it becomes necessary.

TheAnonOne

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Re: Most college students don't earn degree in 4 years?!
« Reply #66 on: February 17, 2015, 09:45:11 AM »
Worked full time, graduated in 2.5 years with a B.S. in Software Engineering / Comp Sci...

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Re: Most college students don't earn degree in 4 years?!
« Reply #67 on: February 17, 2015, 09:50:58 AM »
It took me 7 years to get a 4 year degree, finished in 2009. I was a non-trad student (in my 30s). I went full time every semester, but only 12 credits per semester, plus some summer courses. I did work p/t on the side as a TA/RA or an intern. I was in a hard science program with a lot of math, chem, classes with labs, etc. so 12 credits kept me plenty busy and I wanted to keep my GPA way up. I also often had time in the field looking at outcrops (geology degree). Plus extra classes for my GIS minor.

This was back in the salad days of financial aid. I got enough grants and scholarships to pay all my tuition and some of my living expenses each year. I did not take any loans. I sort of milked it for as along as I could until they told me I had to graduate so I took as many classes as I could, credits way over the minimum I needed to graduate. I just only lost income all those years. I really enjoyed going to school and don't regret the journey.

skunkfunk

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Re: Most college students don't earn degree in 4 years?!
« Reply #68 on: February 17, 2015, 01:34:09 PM »
I don't understand the need for college to take so long. It seemed my education was chock full of superfluous extras that weren't necessary for my education. I think a bachelor's equivalent could easily be done in 2.5 years if you cut out all the waste, for most majors. By equivalent, I mean you'd get a student who is equally prepared for the workforce.

Completely agree.  All of the "common core" type of stuff undergrads seeking technical majors are made to slog through is ridiculous.

Eh, it doesn't take that long if you already have the knowledge base. I did all of that in six months (interim, semester, interim, summer semester + CLEP tests. Take as much as possible online and knock it out in 2 days/class.) I took them all at the very end of college, same time I was doing my most difficult senior physics courses, programming course, and final bit of chemistry. I'm no genius bad-ass, either, it's not that bad.

If you can't pull that off, then you probably needed the courses anyway lest you write horrible reports/papers/whatever-you-do.

willow

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Re: Most college students don't earn degree in 4 years?!
« Reply #69 on: February 17, 2015, 05:39:11 PM »
I don't understand the need for college to take so long. It seemed my education was chock full of superfluous extras that weren't necessary for my education. I think a bachelor's equivalent could easily be done in 2.5 years if you cut out all the waste, for most majors. By equivalent, I mean you'd get a student who is equally prepared for the workforce.

Completely agree.  All of the "common core" type of stuff undergrads seeking technical majors are made to slog through is ridiculous.

Eh, it doesn't take that long if you already have the knowledge base. I did all of that in six months (interim, semester, interim, summer semester + CLEP tests. Take as much as possible online and knock it out in 2 days/class.) I took them all at the very end of college, same time I was doing my most difficult senior physics courses, programming course, and final bit of chemistry. I'm no genius bad-ass, either, it's not that bad.

If you can't pull that off, then you probably needed the courses anyway lest you write horrible reports/papers/whatever-you-do.

I think the CLEP thing is something of which more students should take advantage. I graduated in 4, could have done it in 3 or 3.5 if I hadn't changed majors. I still believe there were a few courses that were completely unnecessary. Kudos to you for getting out of so many courses. If I may ask, were you able to graduate early because of this?

willow

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Re: Most college students don't earn degree in 4 years?!
« Reply #70 on: February 17, 2015, 05:40:13 PM »
Worked full time, graduated in 2.5 years with a B.S. in Software Engineering / Comp Sci...

That is awesome. How'd you do it?

Travis

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Re: Most college students don't earn degree in 4 years?!
« Reply #71 on: February 17, 2015, 05:54:00 PM »
During freshman orientation we were told most of the "hard science" degrees would take close to 5 years due to the higher credit requirements, failed classes, and not enough seats for key classes towards the end.  I took 5 years and it was mostly my fault.  I started out as an engineering student and at orientation they said "Look to your left and right.  In 4 years at least one of you won't be here for graduation - most likely two of you."  I was one of those statistics.  I went for an engineering degree because I felt I was expected to have a hard science degree though my high school grades in those subjects absolutely sucked. 

My school was a trimester system though we called them "quarters." The fall quarter of freshman year I took a lot of "prerequisite" classes which were required if you didn't score high enough in certain placement tests.  The classes were in English (thanks CA public school system!), chemistry, and calculus.  Winter quarter I took entry level calculus and an engineering class and failed them.  I don't remember what I took spring quarter, but it was an equally stellar performance.  I took the summer and the next fall quarter off the enlist in the Army Reserve, and when I got back in winter I took a programming class and failed that too.  I changed majors to Political Science and started hammering through history and poly sci courses.  I loved them.  I took a couple summer courses, but that was my prime time for extended training exercises and work.  I finished in exactly 5 years, though if it wasn't for my freshman screw ups I could have done it in four. In fact, I was only 3 classes away from a Poly Sci/History double major, but by that point I just wanted to get out of there.

skunkfunk

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Re: Most college students don't earn degree in 4 years?!
« Reply #72 on: February 17, 2015, 08:42:10 PM »
I don't understand the need for college to take so long. It seemed my education was chock full of superfluous extras that weren't necessary for my education. I think a bachelor's equivalent could easily be done in 2.5 years if you cut out all the waste, for most majors. By equivalent, I mean you'd get a student who is equally prepared for the workforce.

Completely agree.  All of the "common core" type of stuff undergrads seeking technical majors are made to slog through is ridiculous.

Eh, it doesn't take that long if you already have the knowledge base. I did all of that in six months (interim, semester, interim, summer semester + CLEP tests. Take as much as possible online and knock it out in 2 days/class.) I took them all at the very end of college, same time I was doing my most difficult senior physics courses, programming course, and final bit of chemistry. I'm no genius bad-ass, either, it's not that bad.

If you can't pull that off, then you probably needed the courses anyway lest you write horrible reports/papers/whatever-you-do.

I think the CLEP thing is something of which more students should take advantage. I graduated in 4, could have done it in 3 or 3.5 if I hadn't changed majors. I still believe there were a few courses that were completely unnecessary. Kudos to you for getting out of so many courses. If I may ask, were you able to graduate early because of this?

CLEP is certainly far easier than the AP system. And no, I jacked about too much early on to get out in four. I got a 2.6% in a sophomore engineering course before I got serious (somehow graduated cum laud after that debacle.) Took 6 years for 2 unrelated degrees.

darkadams00

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Re: Most college students don't earn degree in 4 years?!
« Reply #73 on: February 17, 2015, 09:05:32 PM »
I attended school full time, working part time, and it still took me more than 4 years.

I attended a state school and--Surprise!--funding was an issue.  So while
I don't understand the need for college to take so long. It seemed my education was chock full of superfluous extras that weren't necessary for my education. I think a bachelor's equivalent could easily be done in 2.5 years if you cut out all the waste, for most majors. By equivalent, I mean you'd get a student who is equally prepared for the workforce.

Completely agree.  All of the "common core" type of stuff undergrads seeking technical majors are made to slog through is ridiculous.

It's not trade school.  If you only want to learn the skill you seek, and nothing else, that's what trade schools do.  A Bachelor's degree is about learning in a specific area, but it is also about becoming a more educated, well-rounded person.  That's why English majors tke math and Math majors take history and history majors take geography.i

Maybe what we want from our degrees is evolving, but that was the original intention and I think it was, and is, a good one.

I agree with the "well-rounded" intent of a bachelor's degree. I've always told my sons that, at a minimum, they should be competent at most things and extremely skilled at some thing. Their lives will be better because of "most things" and their career will more enjoyable and productive because of "some thing."

Candace

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Re: Most college students don't earn degree in 4 years?!
« Reply #74 on: February 19, 2015, 12:24:23 PM »
I graduated in 1988 with a BS in Mechanical Engineering. It was a four-year program, and very tough, but I was expected to graduate in four years and I did. I think that was "normal" back then.

Nowadays, I have heard from many people that college students just expect to take five years to finish a four-year program. Lower expectations = lower performance in my opinion.

Having said that, if someone is working more than 25 hours a week (give or take), or has some other real reason to take a lighter courseload, then I can understand taking longer. Reading through this thread showed many reasons why someone would take longer and feel fine about it.

Losing credits on transfer is a shame. But if someone wants to transfer or even starts out at CC planning on doing so, they should really do their homework in advance to make sure their credits will transfer, or choose a different plan. Don't colleges provide a faculty advisor to help with this stuff? I had an advisor, and had to meet with him once a semester whether I wanted to or not. I know someone now who's in her seventh year of school, and lost at least a year of credits in the early years because she simply didn't know her courses were worthless elsewhere.

Another thing I can't understand is colleges and universities basically making it impossible to graduate on time by denying students courses they need. If they need it, they should be allowed in the class, period.

johnny847

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Re: Most college students don't earn degree in 4 years?!
« Reply #75 on: February 19, 2015, 02:07:56 PM »
I graduated in 2012 with a BS in Electrical and Computer Engineering from a top private school. It was a four year program that I completed in three. I was definitely an outlier amongst my friends, though I did graduate with another fellow student who also only took three years.


Since some students work part time while completing their degree, I don't think taking more than four years is anti-Mustachian.

Laura

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Re: Most college students don't earn degree in 4 years?!
« Reply #76 on: April 25, 2015, 09:30:23 PM »
I completed my B.S. degree in International Business in 3 years. I went to a college that had trimesters instead of semesters, so that enabled me to take more courses each year than the typical college student would be able to take anyway. I was also in the honors program, so that allowed me to take one extra course each trimester. I studied abroad for two separate trimesters and there were only certain courses you could take during the trimesters abroad, so I wasn't able to take an extra course during those study abroad programs even though I was in the honors program. One summer I took a Psychology course at the community college near my home, to get that course over with during the summer.

So, there were definitely a lot of things that helped me finish in 3 years instead of 4 years. I do think that there are many people who work their way through college, so that could cause them to take longer to graduate, if they are taking a lighter course load in order to balance school and work. I only worked during the summers while I was in college.

LeRainDrop

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Re: Most college students don't earn degree in 4 years?!
« Reply #77 on: April 25, 2015, 10:22:51 PM »
Wow, this thread has been a learning experience for me.  I came from a background where the understanding was that everyone would go to college, and a college degree takes four years to earn.  So, I had a bunch of AP credits from high school, went to a good private college, and graduated with a BA in Political Science in four years.  I double-majored in Chemistry, too, but my college lets undergrads choose only one bachelor's degree, no matter how many majors they can finish.  I suppose there were at least some people who disappeared after the first year of college (transferred, or took time off?), but it seems like the overwhelming majority finished a bachelor's degree in four years.  I also had a handful of friends who did it in three years.

Now, I'm a lawyer at a big law firm, and it seems that most everyone did their bachelor's in four years.  However, one of my closest colleagues, who is extremely smart and has a knack for finding good practical answers, had a pretty circuitous route to get here.  She told me her "big secret" (said with a smile) was that she did not graduate high school, but instead got her GED.  After a while of working, she took night classes in state school to get her bachelor's.  A few years later, she continued with night classes at a state law school.  Now she is here at "prestigious BigLaw" just the same as others who took a more traditional path, and she is excelling.

Indexer

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Re: Most college students don't earn degree in 4 years?!
« Reply #78 on: April 25, 2015, 10:31:57 PM »
I took 4 1/2. 

I was actually done in 4, but in my 4th year I figured out there was a particular specialty in my field I wanted to focus on so I took a couple extra courses focusing on that.  Seeing that I graduated in 08 and I had three job offers in that specialty... it paid off.  :) 

Merrie

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Re: Most college students don't earn degree in 4 years?!
« Reply #79 on: April 25, 2015, 11:20:57 PM »
I went to a pricey private college for undergrad. I had a lot of merit aid and help from parents and graduated with about 15k in loans. After 4 years all college aid went away so I would have lost all my scholarships, so not finishing in 4 years was basically not on the table. I was stunned by the number of "super seniors" we had. Not tons but definitely a decent contingent. I always wondered how they afforded it. Most of my friends graduated in 4 years, though, even my BFF who switched majors in her junior year (like me, she couldn't have afforded to take longer).

My husband did undergrad in 5 years at a state college after changing his major in his junior year. Both his brothers also took 5 years; in both their cases they studied abroad and I think that's why they took longer.

I have never had the experience of not being able to get needed classes, so I guess I'm lucky in that.

I do wonder too what percent of these stats are for people who didn't really intend to do whatever it was anyway... after undergrad I made up some prerequisites at a community college to apply to pharmacy school. To get aid I had to be registered as an Associate of Arts student, but of course I had no intention of actually getting that degree, which I didn't, and that would look on the college's stats like I dropped out. I'd say I accomplished my educational goals though!
« Last Edit: April 25, 2015, 11:22:37 PM by Merrie »

Michael792

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Re: Most college students don't earn degree in 4 years?!
« Reply #80 on: April 25, 2015, 11:58:56 PM »
I went for a year and then joined the Army. Probably not finishing by the end of this month, with only fifty hours. This would have been when I graduated had I stayed the course.

Murse

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Re: Most college students don't earn degree in 4 years?!
« Reply #81 on: April 26, 2015, 08:56:17 AM »
Heck, it's taken me 5 years to get an associates degree. Thing is though that you have to take 2 years of pre-reqs to get into the 2 year associates program. Competition is fierce (300 applicants for 50 spots) so it took me an extra year just to get in. I made the mustachian choice though. I met a nurse that said she had 120k in student loan debt from a local 4 year school (she used it for everything including living expenses.)

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Re: Most college students don't earn degree in 4 years?!
« Reply #82 on: April 28, 2015, 08:35:36 PM »
I graduated in 3.5 years with  double major.

Took a bunch of advanced placement courses in high school and tested out of some classes.  This and the double major almost cancelled each other out.

I worked my ass off mowing yards starting in 8th grade thru 12th grade, plus I worked at McDonalds once I hit 16.  I saved most of the money I didn't use to buy my mowers with.  Lived with my parents to keep my costs down so just one job at McDonalds was enough to get me thru.

I typically took 18 hours of courses each semester.  The last two courses were essentially free that way.  It wasn't all that hard because most of the freshman and sophomore classes just covered stuff I learned in grade school, or high school, or just by reading on my own before college.   In other words, I actually took the time and trouble to learn what I was taught in K-12.  Shocking concept to many in this country, I'm sad to say.

I learned from older friends about the potential problem getting an essential class in the last year, so I took higher level classes as soon as I could get into them.  This meant that most of my last semester's worth of classes were the freshman 101 classes.  In effect, I went to school backwards.