Spring Break
Finishing college in less than four years
Alisha Cowan
Issue date: 3/28/07 Section: News
Students who attempt to complete college in the typical four years are sometimes sidetracked by excessive partying or failing grades, but a developing trend spreading throughout universities is graduating college in three years.
According to Ellen Poulter, academic adviser of the English and Journalism department, to achieve this goal students basically need to be aware from the start of their college careers that they want to graduate early. A heavier workload will be required per semester - 18 semester hours instead of the usual 12 or 15 - and summer classes are necessary.
"You also need to work very closely with your academic adviser to be sure all of the bases can be covered in that amount of time," said Poulter, who is in the process of helping students work toward this goal.
There are several reasons students make the decision to graduate in three years. Non-traditional students, such as those who already support a family, are married or are older, want to finish up school faster than the traditional 18- or 19-year-old who is finding his or her own place in the world.
"Non-traditional students generally have a more direct path in mind from the start. They have already developed the life skills that college helps to foster," Poulter said. "What they want are the necessary career skills, usually as soon as possible."
Financial problems force some students to finish school within a certain amount of time. Many books, such as "College in Three Years: Stop Wasting Time and Money," written by John C. Attig, support the idea that the quicker a student completes college, the less of a financial burden there is on him or her in the future as far as paying off student loans and potential college expenses.
Some students with sights set on graduate school want to be done early so they can move forward, and some students simply want to graduate in order to begin their careers quickly, according to Poulter.
"I think college is a wonderful experience for both traditional and non-traditional students. It's a place where you can spend four years in a relatively safe microcosm of society growing into the person you're destined to become. Can students do that in three years instead of four? Sure, if they want to," Poulter said.
Finishing school in only three years, however, is not for every college student. English graduate assistant Caroline Rohner preferred to earn her college degree in four years.
"I was never interested in trying to graduate in three years," Rohner said. "I really enjoyed college and wouldn't want to rush through that phase of my life."
According to Ellen Poulter, academic adviser of the English and Journalism department, to achieve this goal students basically need to be aware from the start of their college careers that they want to graduate early. A heavier workload will be required per semester - 18 semester hours instead of the usual 12 or 15 - and summer classes are necessary.
"You also need to work very closely with your academic adviser to be sure all of the bases can be covered in that amount of time," said Poulter, who is in the process of helping students work toward this goal.
There are several reasons students make the decision to graduate in three years. Non-traditional students, such as those who already support a family, are married or are older, want to finish up school faster than the traditional 18- or 19-year-old who is finding his or her own place in the world.
"Non-traditional students generally have a more direct path in mind from the start. They have already developed the life skills that college helps to foster," Poulter said. "What they want are the necessary career skills, usually as soon as possible."
Financial problems force some students to finish school within a certain amount of time. Many books, such as "College in Three Years: Stop Wasting Time and Money," written by John C. Attig, support the idea that the quicker a student completes college, the less of a financial burden there is on him or her in the future as far as paying off student loans and potential college expenses.
Some students with sights set on graduate school want to be done early so they can move forward, and some students simply want to graduate in order to begin their careers quickly, according to Poulter.
"I think college is a wonderful experience for both traditional and non-traditional students. It's a place where you can spend four years in a relatively safe microcosm of society growing into the person you're destined to become. Can students do that in three years instead of four? Sure, if they want to," Poulter said.
Finishing school in only three years, however, is not for every college student. English graduate assistant Caroline Rohner preferred to earn her college degree in four years.
"I was never interested in trying to graduate in three years," Rohner said. "I really enjoyed college and wouldn't want to rush through that phase of my life."
Be the first to comment on this story