Since students who don’t have to pay their own way through college usually graduate sooner.
Did you have an agreement with your parents to graduate in 3 years, or are you at a school / program where graduation in 3 years is the norm?
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Are you saying that college students who don’t have to pay themselves usually graduate in under four years?
If so…I do not think that is true.
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If you graduate in 4 years or less it is a win in my book.
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I thought that 4 years was normal (at least in the US and most of Canada). Taking more than 4 years is very common.
There are a lot of opportunities at many, many universities. Various types of research and coops and internships are examples. Sometimes students do not want to graduate early since staying a full 4 years provides more time to take advantage of these opportunities.
Also, things like a change in major, or a class or two that goes badly, or a dual major, can stretch things out, regardless of whether the parents are paying.
Also, some majors have course sequences that need to be taken in order. Similarly, some classes are not available every year. These are however generally designed to allow graduation in four years.
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Most students attend for 8 semesters. Some who had a ton of AP, dual enrollment, and CLEP credits finish earlier. Yes, some students who are under financial pressure, do finish earlier. I know someone who persuaded his parents to let him stay an “extra” 5th semester (not year, semester), because he didn’t want to leave after only 4 semesters - he could have finished up at the end of the 4th semester.
So the answer is, it depends. Frankly, I think that finishing an undergrad degree in 7 semesters is pretty darn good.
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No. My D23 entered college this year with enough AP and DE credits to be classified as a sophomore. I told her that she could make her own decision whether she wanted to graduate early since I didn’t want to deny her the full college experience. Right now she plans to graduate a semester early to get a jump start on her career but that can certainly change.
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You should never be ashamed of how long it takes you to graduate from college. It took me six years to earn my degree. It’s called earning a degree for a good reason. Be proud of yourself, always.
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Nope. This sounds cultural to me. Pay your parents back by doing well in your future. I hope you actually enjoyed your college experience.
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Is there some reason why you are asking this question?
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There are some colleges and majors where it’s possible to graduate in 3 years with good planning, some luck, and exceptional time management skills.
There are some colleges and majors where it is very, very difficult. A Dean won’t waive a pre-requisite but the sequencing of the courses means that you can’t take what you need to take when you want to take it. A committee evaluates your placement test and concludes that you are NOT ready to move to the next level even if you got an A in what you think is a similar class in HS.
And there are some fields where even if it’s possible, it’s a bad idea. If you are applying to competitive grad programs with 25% less than everyone else (fewer internships, research roles, fewer professors to write you a recommendation or pick up the phone on your behalf, much less networking in fields where that’s important), etc. Or for getting a fulltime job- same issues.
Why do you want to graduate early?
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No, as long as you are doing what you honestly feel is best for your development/future in a responsible way. All parents just want what is best for their kids, and determining that isn’t always easy or clear. Best and fastest/cheapest aren’t the same. Would they like to save some $? Sure, but probably not at the cost of burn out or sub-par grades that might impact your future.
Now, if you just want to have no classes on Fridays so you can party more, that might be different (but honestly, some parents might even be cool with that as they might view it as “work/life balance”).