Be Efficient with your time. Graduating fast is all about optimizing your time and being efficient with your schedule. When you determine your maximum course load, consider study time and class times before making the commitment.
Plan your schedule carefully. Consider which classes have to be taken in what order, and availability of courses during the academic year. More importantly, take the classes that fill up quickly first, as your schedule and prerequisites permit.
Take difficult courses over the summer so that you have a lighter load and more time to devote to getting higher grades. Make use of community college course offerings: Taking summer classes at a community college while in high school will help you save time and money.
Just be sure that the credits transfer to your university. Take full advantage of online options for your coursework. You may be able to take some of your classes online, while other classes will be limited to a live format.
Be sure to set aside extra study time, as some online classes may require additional work. Make use of all Advanced Placement AP credits: If you took Advanced Placement AP classes in high school, be sure you got credit for them to avoid repeating prerequisites. Credit for military service: If you have served in the military, learn how to get school credit for military service. College Level Examination Program CLEP exams cover material you would cover in your first two years of a 4 year degree program, ranging from foreign language to math.
Now, knowing what you know, should you graduate in the next 3 years? Only you can decide. To help you make the right decision for your life, examine your priorities and requirements. What is waiting for me on the other side?
It could be a job opportunity that caught your eye, or the prospect of paying off debt or starting a family sooner.
What will I miss out on if I graduate early? No one can answer this except for you. This is really about priorities. Do you want to enjoy the college experience, such as spring break, a summer trip to Cancun and studying abroad?
Would you rather forego or limit those experiences to graduate faster? College students are known to change their majors a few times while earning their undergraduate degree. In the face of indecision, students may benefit from waiting before they declare a major. If you are faced with the dilemma of changing your major, you could also embark with a plan to graduate in 3 years or less, and readjust if you decide to change your major.
How much am I really saving? Be sure to factor in the cost of summer school and winter break classes, plus extra charges you may rack up during the regular semester above a certain number of credits. Often when you take a 7-week course you will find the next level of that course is offered in another 7-week semester that begins right after the first one ends.
So you are able to take two classes in a week period as opposed to one. Take online classes. Online classes also run in accelerated terms, and since you can do the work for the online course when it is convenient for you, you can take more classes each semester to fit into your busy schedule.
Take more than 15 credits if you pay for full-time tuition. Most four-year schools require students to pay tuition for either part-time or full-time status.
Full-time status is generally credits classes. So if you are devoting your days to being a student, you can take 6 or 7 classes for the same price. Be careful though—if you over extend yourself with work or too many high-level, complex courses, you will not be successful with this method. Complete dual credit courses while still in high school. Some community colleges offer dual credit certification.
Just make sure to check with the community college — and ideally the four-year college or university you know you want to attend — to ensure the credits will transfer. Transferring college credit can be a headache. Every institution maintains its own course requirements, its own categorization method for academic fields, and its own rulebook for accepting outside credit. Nevertheless, a growing number of colleges are awarding credit for what they don't have to teach.
Administered by the College Board — the same organization behind the SAT — CLEP exams count toward English, math, science, and other general education requirements at nearly 3, colleges. By passing one test, you can receive up to three college credits. Most colleges also require incoming students to take a foreign-language placement test to gauge their fluency in a language other than English. If you studied a foreign language throughout high school and maybe middle school , you may already meet your college's foreign-language requirement and therefore not need to take any further language classes.
Taking a full course load all year with summers off means graduating in about four years. It's important to keep your grades from suffering, so try to spread out your course load as much as possible, with night classes and summer courses. Most colleges limit the number of credits students can take per term to 15, 18, or 20 credits, depending on the school and whether it uses the quarter or semester system.
In some cases, colleges will make special exceptions. Just keep in mind that some colleges charge extra fees for taking additional credits. Graduating early means spending less money earning a degree and more time earning a living. The year you shave off college becomes your first year on the job.
Not only do you receive an extra year of wages, but you also potentially fast-track promotions and higher wages. While students who took four years or more to finish college are just entering the job market, the early graduate is hitting their second or third year in their field — and likely already seeking a new role and a bigger paycheck.
While students who took four years or more to finish college are just entering the job market, the early graduate is hitting their second or third year in their field.
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