How many years will it take you to graduate? Do you want to actually earn your bachelor’s degree in 4 years?
YES, It can be done.
Today I got a letter from the Chair of my department about my remaining requirements for graduation. If I take all the right courses next semester I will graduate 4 years (8 Semesters) from when I began.
I know some people who had to stay an extra semester or longer because they did not follow these steps.
Simple Steps to Guarantee that you will Graduate on Time
- Find out what credits you can transfer from high school or previous colleges.
- If you took any classes that get college credit in High School check to see if they transferred over.
- If you are a non-traditional student (an older person like me) you may be able to get life credits.
- You never know until you ask.
- See what classes you need to graduate.
- You can find this information from admissions, the registrar, the website or your specific degree program department.
- Check for prerequisites of the classes that you intend to take.
- This is the most important part, but cannot be done without knowing what classes you need to graduate.
- Many of the higher-level classes require prerequisites. It is essential to check these, as classes with prerequisites cannot be taken until the previous class is taken.
- Plan, Plan, Plan
- Structure your schedule so that you start with classes that are prerequisites.
*My method was to take classes that served as prerequisites for several of my upper division courses. - Try to leave your electives until the end.
*This provides the flexibility to fill a prerequisite that might not be one of your requirements however still counts towards your degree.
*This can also makes your last semester an easy one.
- Structure your schedule so that you start with classes that are prerequisites.
Don’t Give Up
As I’m sure many of you know getting towards the end many of us get a case of “Senioritis” that makes us want to go to the beach instead of class. Remember that future jobs don’t care about pictures of graduation and the parties, they want to see your diploma.