Not going to graduate in 4 years...
 

So, This morning i sent a drop form online to drop my statistics class. I just can't handle it right now. Now, I had planned on taking it in the UW-Winterim (over x-mas break) but, to my surprise, they aren't offering it this year like they do every year. But seriously, the guy teaching this course does not know what's going on. He's more concerned about informing us of definition of words, than he is about showing us how to do problems, and I hate that!

So now, depending on how many credits I take next semester and the semester after, I might be able to still graduate in 4 years. But, I might just say bah, take some summer classes and not stress myself out so much and take an extra semester.
Any advice that anyone can give me? Is it truly bad to take an extra semester for undergraduate? I've heard that a lot of ppl take an extra semester or sometimes an extra year to finish their undergrad. It's just really stressing me out. I just want to get the hell out of school and start my career. But, everytime I feel like it's going to flow, something happens to cramp my style. *Sigh* School really really sucks..I should have stayed a Creative Writing major :)

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Don't stress out! Tons of people graduate in 5 years or more. It's not a big deal (unless it's a financial thing) You should enjoy your time in school! :0)

It's taking me 4 1/2 years to graduate, and I'm kind of glad I took my time..This past summer I was able to retake some classes to replace some bad grades..
actually, at my school it actually seems pretty rare that people still graduate in 4 years..generally, 4 1/2 if they're lucky, but 5 is pretty much the norm..so seriously, don't stress..take your time What are you in a rush to get out of school for- the real world to begin??..I graduate in 2 months, and am absolutely terrified..i've even considered staying another semester..hehe..

It took me 5 years to graduate and I loved it. A lot less stress if you stretch it out.

Right now, I'm majoring in Marketing with a minor in Sociology. I might pick up a double major next Spring in Finance. If that happens, I will be on the 5year plan. No big deal. Many people I know do not graduate on time. My boyfriend, double majoring in Forensics and Chemistry, is on the 5 1/2 year plan. So, it's ok. Plus, do you really want to get into the real world that soon anyways??? :)

I graduated in 3 and 1/2 years, and now I wonder what the heck I was in such a rush about. Take your time and enjoy yourself! You will never have this kind of an opportunity again...to learn just for the sake of learning.

I agree with what everyone else has said - What's the rush? I took time off and changed my major almost four times so in the end it took me five years plus some summer school to graduate. :o THEN, I spent the next year bumming around Europe. Then went back to school to do a program at a Technical College. Didn't end up getting my first 'real' job til I was 24. Believe me - the working world sucks and I was still plenty young once I got here. Take your time, have some fun and don't worry about it at all.

Don't hurry, take your time! Who wants to rush growing up? :p

Well, speaking as a parent of a graduate who changed schools and majors, went out of state and still graduated magna cum laude in four years, my checkbook appreciated it very much. She never had less than 19 hours per quarter after the transfer and that was pretty brutal.

Now we have a son who is a HS senior and a National Merit Semi Finalist who is being courted by all the big time colleges. They're pretty expensive, but he will double major and take five years. After being off work for a while due to a corporate merger and taking a huge paycut when finally going back to work, I hope we can afford the school he wants to attend (Northwestern).

Part of the decision must be financial. Are you paying for this or your parents. If the latter, can they afford it?

I agree with the "why rush into the real world sentiment," but keep in mind that you may not be the only one impacted.

Good luck.

Only took me 4 1/2 years. Dual major. Best 4 1/2 years of my life.

Took me 4 1/2 years and I wish it had been 5. :) Seriously, no one in the "real world" cares how long it took, just that you did it. Actually of all my friends, I can only think of 2 that did it in 4. The rest of us took 4 1/2.

One of my friends is stressing because she has to take 18 credits this semester, and 19 her last semester. I think that I finally convinced her to slow it down a little, walk in May, and still take summer school. I garuntee you that no one in the "real world" cares how long you took to get that degree.. they just care that you got it. The only reason most people get a degree anymore (I'm not saying all professions..) is to show that they can commit.. and 4+ years is a commitment. Companies like to see that you took teh time to work hard. I'm sure that there are plenty of people out there with the skills, but they may have been job hopping for the last 4 years to get those skills. Who do you think the company will pick?

I want to get a degree in everything so that I never have to get out into the real world. I like the school phase of my life too much, I can't imagine not taking classes at some point in my life...God, that will be wierd.

Hey SigCard,

Interesting idea, but then you and your parents will probably both be "in hoc." Meaning Hoc the car, the house, the furniture, etc.

By the way, I agree that employers don't care how long it takes to graduate. Actually, I dropped out of school with 14 quarter hours left to take a job. I finished 25 years after I started through correspondence courses.

I didn't need to, it was just kind of a "sentence" in my life that didn't have a period at the end.

hey bud, don't stress over it. alothough it may suck to have a 5th year, or to load up on units until you are finished with school, just think of something positive. besides, i'm at a majorly impacted school where 5-6, even 7 for some people, is the norm.

HAHA!!!
 

Damn Kids!!!!!!:p

Took me 7 and a summer school:D

2 Colleges, 4 Fraternitys, if you count the local I started, and the one I pledge under the table ,Different majors, History to Business, and getting married, not because I had to, I would have still been in College as a student!!!!!!:)

Who in their right mind wants to get into the real world.???:mad:

God from then on out, it is Work, Work, Work!!!

Blazing Saddles, Who was the Gov. that said it?

Right hand man, Harvey Corman!!!!!!

Whoa Nellie, this is the "GREATEST TIMES OF YOUR LIVES", DO NOT USE IT TO WISELY!!!!!!!

Live today as Well You may be Dust, Toast, Hasta La ByBByy, adieous, gone but forgotten, ECT,ETC,ETC, !!!!!!!!! Yul baby my man:D

Oh by the way in my circle of freinds then I did not have the record for years in school, Dingo had that!!!!


It is not illegal unless you get caught:D

I had to graduate in four years because my parents were footing the bill. I went to USC, and my mother's income alone disqualified me from financial aid.

Thanks everyone for all the advice, I guess I'm learning that the norm isn't 4 years anymore. And, I guess it is true, a company will take you if you get the degree, they don't care how long you took to get it.

I guess I just have been under a lot of stress lately, and I didn't know what my parents would say about me dropping a class. But, I came to find out that my mom was actually happy about it.
As for school, I pretty much foot the bill, and it's tough, because I don't qualify for financial aid...well next year I will, because I can claim independent..so i'll see what happens...

So I guess I can relax and not be so stressed about it, since there are many out there that are in a similar situation

Very true yet employers like to see people who stick with a 4 year plan. It shows the ability to stay on task, in my opinion.

Hey! I can definitely tell you it's not the norm to graduate in 4 years. I had originally planned to graduate in 4 years but after my freshman year I realized that just wasn't going to happen. I am now actually looking at 5 or 5 and a half years. That's what you get when you decide to change your major as a junior. There is nothing wrong with taking your time and enjoying your college career. It's definitely nothing to stress over!!!! :)

Allison

If you have the money - take the time and do it right. It doesn't look bad on your resume, especially if you can justify it by saying you double majored or switched majors late. Don't overload and let your grades suffer, just to graduate "on time".

It all depends on where you go to school whether it's "the norm" or not. At my school, you have to petition to get a 5th year, and it has to be because of a thesis, taking graduate courses as an undergrad, or changing your degree program (ie, BA to BS). Even so, you have to take a minimum number of credits (we don't do credit hours, 1 class=1 credit, 4 a semester/ 30 to graduate) and those credits will allow you to graduate in four years. Also, there are so many classes available to fulfill concentration requirements that there's always a class you can take any semester to fill a certain requirement. Most people don't even take summer classes.

Oh yeah...my personal reason for dipping in 4 years is finances. Brown is a damned expensive school, and my parents foot the bill. So, I really don't want to burden them with a superfluous year. Plus, I'm actually kinda tired of this place, and dipping in a year and a half is sounding more and more wonderful...

It took me 3 year of community college and 4 years of George Mason. So, dont worry LOL Amycat is right. All that matters is that you finish and you have that paper of accomplisment. That is the difference.

Also, most colleges rig it monetarily so that you cant conceivably finish unless you are a brainiack or work it so you cant get all the classes in when you need them.

Kevin

I can understand your stress, as I also "footed the bill" for school
and believe me paying those loans back are not fun. BUT-I wish I had taken my time, I did undergrad requirements in 3 years for grad school and I now sort of regret it. While everyone was going to New Orleans to party for Mardi Gras I was studying, but that was the choice I made-I sacraficied some social venues for school. What I would not give to go back to school and get out of the real world for a bit. I really miss it. If I could I would be a career student. Take time, enjoy life and smell the roses.

K

There is another issue here.

If you can afford it and want to take some extra time to graduate, so be it.

On the other hand, some schools have been accused of making it difficult through scheduling, lack of required class offerings and other alleged methods for a student to graduate in four years. At her first university the daughter I mentioned above was told that it would take a minimum of 4 1/2 years to complete her course of study. They demanded a lot of one credit hour courses which were only offered one semester per year and other little tricks like that. In the end, she switched schools and majors and graduated in four. But it was hard.

In some states there were moves a few years ago to withhold funds to state supported universities unless a certain percentage of students graduated in four years. I don't know whether any state actually did that.

From a consumer perspective (someone who is paying for my childrens' education), a "four year degree" should be just that as far as a school in concerned. If they purposly make it difficult or impossible for that to happen, they should be taken to task.

As I said above, if a student wants to take a few extra classes and stay longer and they or their parents can afford it, that's another story.

I dunno about the whole more than 4 years college thing. If you stick with just one major, there shouldn't be a problem graduating in 4 years. If majors are switched, than of course it will take more than 4 years to graduate.

Ex Greek, I completely respect your opinion, however, some people have no idea what they want to do for THE REST OF THEIR LIVES-very important decision and so some may start out as a general studies major (generic major) and then later on find what interests them-if they do this then very often than not they will be in school more than 4 years. Many of the people I knew my freshman year had no idea what they wanted to do, some were
pressured by the parents to be a "so and so" major. I guess if the parents are that concerned about paying for more than 4 years of college, then the student can get a loan. I vow that if I ever have children I will pay for all of their schooling as long as they are doing well b/c I know how difficult it is to pay for your own tuition.