As I now inch closer to finally obtaining my college degree, a question that I often reflect on is whether I should’ve stayed an extra year, take a few classes for fun, or maybe complete another minor. But graduating college early was a goal that I had been working on since my high school years. Not only did I begin taking college classes as a high school sophomore, but I spent almost all my summers up until now completing one or more courses. This is now allowing me to graduate a year early from college. But everything has both pros and cons, and being in this position has allowed me to contemplate the advantages and disadvantages that come when you decide to take the route that I took.
Pros:
You save money
As college students, we all know how expensive college can be. Whether it’s your tuition, your housing, food, or anything else, it becomes difficult to manage all expenses. But completing college early not only saves you tuition and other costs, but also keeps your loan amounts down.
Whether you plan on attending graduate school or aim to join the workforce right after college, being able to graduate sooner will allow you to quickly launch into the pathway that you want to take.
Being able to graduate early shows that you’re a goal-oriented and highly motivated student, who doesn’t shy away from putting in the time and effort to attain your goals.
You don’t get enough time to get the full college experience
Graduating early means that you’re on an accelerated schedule and stay busy with classes year-round. This gives you less time to explore other interests and make the most of your college experience.
Overloading and taking many difficult classes at the same time can be quite a challenge and you can risk your GPA if you’re not able to keep up with all the work.
