Everyone tells you how fast college is going to fly by. It is supposed to be one of the most fun, exciting, challenging, and fulfilling times in your life, all things that make the time go even faster. So at the beginning of my college journey, I knew to expect the days to go quickly, some nights to last forever, and to make the most of each and every day. What I didn’t know is that I would have one less year of it than most.
The decision to graduate a year early is not one I made easily or even knew I’d be making at the start of my freshman year. In fact, it wasn’t solidified until the end of my sophomore year. I had come in with 12 credits and then studied abroad after my Freshman year, putting me a semester ahead of most. This first planted the seed for thinking about continuing on this path and graduating early. So to stay on this track, I started taking 18 credits a semester. In a weird way, regardless of if I even did graduate early, I liked the challenge (I realize how nerdy and not normal that is, but just go with it). I liked being busy all the time, and that I was. Between 2 jobs, my sorority, and trying to be social while getting enough sleep and not failing classes, there wasn’t much time left to spare. But somehow, I made it. With a rigorous schedule that allocated specific times for socializing, school work, and real work, I managed to not only do well in school and stay involved, but also find time for some long nights, shenanigans with friends, and nights I’ll never forget. At a time I even thought I might want to go to law school, and so made time to study and take the LSAT in the fall of last year.
All this is to say that it wasn’t easy. I’d be lying if I said that I enjoyed every moment of stress and missing out on gatherings and days when I didn’t have a single moment to myself. There were definitely days that would fly by so fast simply because I was booked from morning to night. On those days, I wondered if it was worth it. On top of this, my own family and friends were not all 100% supported of me trying to graduate early. They wondered my motives and some just didn’t understand. It was frustrating at times to feel that no one was on my side. Sometimes this would bother me, and sometimes it would inspire me to keep going and prove that I could do it.
Looking back, I definitely made the right decision for myself. I’ve always been an old soul with a youthful spirit. I enjoyed having fun and making stupid decisions occasionally, but I was also ready for the real world. Paying bills and being on my own didn’t scare me that much. It excited me, and I truly feel like I am going to thrive outside of school. Though I don’t have a job lined up for me after graduation, or a real idea of what I want to pursue as a career, I’m excited to be out of school to start living as my own person outside of the college campus bubble. And hey, saving some thousands of dollars by leaving early isn’t a bad perk either. By graduating at 20 years old, I feel like I have a world of possibilities in front of me and extra time to figure out which one of those is right for me. I know it’s not the typical path, but it was the one for me. We all have to follow that path which is right for you, no matter what. This is one of the biggest lessons that choosing the more difficult path taught me, and I’m so glad I did.