Considering graduating early? Here are some things to think about

A year ago, I entered my academic advisor’s office to declare a second major. Entering that office, I had no idea that I would leave not only declaring a double major in communication, but also discovering that I could graduate a year early. 

In high school, I had taken numerous dual credit courses, and although I was aware that they had transferred, until that meeting, I did not know for sure if graduating early would be an option, especially with a double major. 

While I decided that graduating early was the right choice for me, there are many reasons students might hesitate to make this decision or decide that a four-year college plan works better for them. If this is a choice you are facing right now, here are some factors to consider when making this decision so you can begin weighing pros and cons.

FINANCIALS

While we hate to admit it, tuition can be expensive, even with financial aid and scholarships. For me, as someone who will also be going on to law school, minimizing my debt and entering the job market quickly to pay off my loans was a driving factor when it came to deciding to graduate early. Graduating a year or a semester early is a great way to save on the cost of tuition and college living expenses.

STRESS

Graduating early is not an easy process and definitely adds stress to my life. My choice has required me to be extremely calculated when making my schedule and to take at least 15 credit hours of courses per semester. In addition, I have to take senior-level courses much earlier. I manage these extra considerations by relying on Degree Works to see which specific requirements I still have to fulfill within my majors and making my schedules based on these requirements. 

As an honors student, graduating early also means I have to work with my honors advisor to coordinate when I should be taking honors-specific classes. I also have an extra Capstone project, an honors-specific semester-long project that typically fourth-year students have to complete, that I will do a year earlier than I previously anticipated. While I have found that these stressors are not unmanageable, this is something that honors students graduating early will have to consider.

RESUMES

Since I am graduating a year early, some parts of my resume may not be as robust as those of students with four years of college experience. While my original plan was to have some sort of internship the summer before my junior and senior years, I have had to adjust my vision since I no longer have that extra summer to gain that experience. I also do not have as much time to expand my leadership roles section on my resume and have taken on some new leadership positions since making this decision.

This is a fact of life that all students graduating early have to accept, and while difficult, it is understandable because our time has been limited. For some students, this can be a deal breaker for graduating early, and obtaining this experience is more important. I have decided that since I have three years of law school ahead of me, I will have plenty of time to improve my resume and gain more experience during this time.

Overall, the decision to graduate early is highly individual and depends on each student’s unique circumstances. There is no right or wrong decision in this scenario; ultimately, the best choice is the one that works best for you. 

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