Have you ever heard the saying, “the best years of your life are those four spent at college”?
How are you meant to feel about that when you decide to cut those years short? It is bittersweet, I suppose.
I almost graduated high school early, and, instead, I took half days and started college classes in the afternoons. I had the best of both worlds. But now, because of that…
I am graduating college early!
For some reason, I did this whole growing up thing quite differently than the average student. It has always seemed that I live my life in the future and never in the present. Everyone tells me to slow down and to stop trying to grow up so fast! But in my opinion, I am just trying to do what is best for me (or maybe future me). I compromised in high school and did both. In a sense, I am doing the same now because I am currently applying to a graduate program a year early and do not begin until July of 2019.
The hardest part of this has been to decide if I want to be an adult or a college student. I don’t mean as college students we are not adults, but these are REAL adult decisions, not just what elective I will take next semester. When laying out the pros and cons of graduating early the pros side was drastically longer. Financially speaking it just makes sense. I can thank my parents for forcing financial responsibilities on me early in adolescence. I will save a large amount of money and will be able to work a few months (I have to pay off those undergrad student loans somehow!) before I start my 2.5-year graduate program.
Of course, I could stay the extra year and take the easiest semester possible because I completed my major requirements, but it is time that I completely commit to the adult life.
Breaking the news to my parents was easy. Breaking the news to my best friends was difficult. “It will be senior year, Julia! You can’t graduate early.” They are right, senior year is amazing and that was listed on the con side of graduating early. I tell them I’ll come visit on the weekends as long as they allow me to crash on their couch. At the end of the day, they understand and support me and I am thankful to everyone for helping me through this decision. It’s true, sometimes you cannot do it alone.
I knew coming into college as a freshman that I could potentially graduate early, but I put that off for a few years. Now, this article is my confirmation – I’m graduating early.
I have one more semester at Siena, and I promise you I will make those three months the best three months of my life.
And hey, I still have 2.5 years of graduate school!
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