Should I graduate college early?

[fattychalupa]

Well this is quite a random place to post this question, but I think there are a lot of members here who could chime in with some really good advice.

So as of now I'm a freshman majoring in business up at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. I love it here, but I'm thinking of whether or not I should graduate a year early, due to my amount of AP credits I took in high school. An older sibling is advising me against it saying that the job market is still basically terrible right now, but I honestly don't know which path to choose. I've always been the kind of person who likes to get ahead and start things early, which is why I originally wanted to graduate sooner but I don't want to do so if there's no actual benefit in the end.

If I try to graduate early I will admit I'll have a full schedule (4-5 classes/quarter) but the fact I'd be saving so much money is a big deciding factor. Yet, if I do stay the whole time I would potentially minor in either photography (just because I love it) or Industrial Technology (because it would actually be useful). So what would you guys recommend?

Pros:
-more time to build relationships, get internships, network, and make connections
-I can take less classes (3) per quarter and potentially get better grades
-More free time for extracurriculars and part time jobs.
-Have time to do a minor (although this bumps my schedule to 4 classes/quarter)

Cons:
-another year of expenses/tuition/etc, ~$22,000 almost (this is a big factor for me)
-missing out on a head start on job hunting

P.S. Any thoughts on joining a co-ed business fraternity vs a regular social one?

[just4kickz]

stay in school. what's the rush? i was in the same position you were a few years ago, but i ended up picking up a minor and doing a few internships. in my final 2 years, i was taking like 3 classes/quarter which is like 12 units/q. plus, some internships are only given to students so keep that in mind. as far as the minor goes... it's really up to you. it's probably smarter to do something you can apply in the future, but after completing a major, it can be relaxing to study something you're more passionate about. oh and job hunting sucks--it can wait.

[Express]

minors are worthless. i graduated early with a major and a minor.

biggest waste of 4 classes ever.

[persian54]

I graduated in 3 years and I'm happy
Why? I hated CSUN.

Now, if I went to a school I actually liked...like say UCLA or something...sure I would have probably stayed....

If you plan to do a graduate program, get out early, get work experience, then enter the graduate program of your choice.

[Greenkirby21]

i am graduating early, and the main reason is because my parents pay for my tuition. 22k is a lot of money. Also, I got accepted into masters so I will be starting my masters in CS.

[Templar]

Meh, if you can't afford it anylonger then maybe graduating early is a good idea.

If it's not that big of a deal, I would stay in, but that's just me. You can do a lot of good things either way really, both have their up's and down's. But +1 about the job market being shitty still. Not much you can do about that.

[CollinsE90]

Stay an extra year and buy hookers and blow.

[Q4P]

Early! Why? ... because 22k is a lot of money and I highly doubt you'll get much out of that extra year. Make your connections / internships now and not only will you get out of school sooner but you'll also be making money sooner.

[Bimmer Nerd]

Assuming that you are paying for all your schooling, i am also going to say that you are an independent student ? If so, why dont you get finiancial aid ? I know some disgustingly rich people that still get finiancial aid and people that earn honest living and *cough* dont lie on their taxes* don't get shit. Its sad, but i m pretty sure you have considered this option already, just wondering why you can't get financial aid.

[fattychalupa]

Originally Posted by Bimmer Nerd

Assuming that you are paying for all your schooling, i am also going to say that you are an independent student ? If so, why dont you get finiancial aid ? I know some disgustingly rich people that still get finiancial aid and people that earn honest living and *cough* dont lie on their taxes* don't get shit. Its sad, but i m pretty sure you have considered this option already, just wondering why you can't get financial aid.

Actually I'm not paying for schooling- I'm fortunate enough that my parents can easily pay for it, but at the same time it's always nice to save some money. That's why for financial aid all I got were loans vs grants which they didn't want to deal with and decided to forgo any aid offered

[Bimmer Nerd]

Originally Posted by fattychalupa

Actually I'm not paying for schooling- I'm fortunate enough that my parents can easily pay for it, but at the same time it's always nice to save some money. That's why for financial aid all I got were loans vs grants which they didn't want to deal with and decided to forgo any aid offered

Ahhh, makes sense. Its nice that even though your parents are paying for your schooling, your still concerned about it. A lot of college kids dont care so to you.

Good luck with whichever decision you make !

[inabis]

Stay and get an internship. If you get an internship/Co-op you'd just have to pay 1 credit (usually) during that semester. Getting an internship is a much easier way to get a job. Good luck!

[BayMoWe335]

The real world sucks and so does working.

[KwlAznKid]

i could have graduated in 3 (+a few months or so) and i stayed 4 for, no regrets at all, i wish i could have stayed for 5. you don't want to get out into the real world trust me.. especially if you have mommy n daddy paying for your stuff in college (i did) but it seems like you're paying for your own stuff so you might have your priorities a bit different (in a better way) than mine lol

[BayMoWe335]

And it's fewer classes, not less.

Stay in school.

[MidwestGolfBum]

Unless you actually have a job/internship/co-op lined up, stay in school. I graduated in 3 because of having to pay for things on my own and actually have a job to go to if I did graduate. Had I not had these, I would have done another major with my last year, I think it was another 6 classes at the time.

[MDyDinanM]

yes, I'd graduate college early. Then start a Masters program.

Who cares if you miss out on the social life. Start your professional life and start bringing in an income and gain real-world experience.

[talisman311]

I'd stay if it's financially not a big deal. Unless your undergrad is in the sciences like cs it or engineering, the market is still bleak. Build as much rapport with individuals with a lot of drive and they'll help you out or vice versa when the time comes.

[E90Alex]

it depends on what you want to do in business. If you are looking to go into finance/banking it would be tough to land a job without staying the 4th year. For banking you really need the junior year summer internships.

[MisterSkiMask]

Originally Posted by fattychalupa

Well this is quite a random place to post this question, but I think there are a lot of members here who could chime in with some really good advice.

So as of now I'm a freshman majoring in business up at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. I love it here, but I'm thinking of whether or not I should graduate a year early, due to my amount of AP credits I took in high school. An older sibling is advising me against it saying that the job market is still basically terrible right now, but I honestly don't know which path to choose. I've always been the kind of person who likes to get ahead and start things early, which is why I originally wanted to graduate sooner but I don't want to do so if there's no actual benefit in the end.

If I try to graduate early I will admit I'll have a full schedule (4-5 classes/quarter) but the fact I'd be saving so much money is a big deciding factor. Yet, if I do stay the whole time I would potentially minor in either photography (just because I love it) or Industrial Technology (because it would actually be useful). So what would you guys recommend?

Pros:
-more time to build relationships, get internships, network, and make connections
-I can take less classes (3) per quarter and potentially get better grades
-More free time for extracurriculars and part time jobs.
-Have time to do a minor (although this bumps my schedule to 4 classes/quarter)

Cons:
-another year of expenses/tuition/etc, ~$22,000 almost (this is a big factor for me)
-missing out on a head start on job hunting

P.S. Any thoughts on joining a co-ed business fraternity vs a regular social one?

You never know where you are going to find your 'big opportunity' so I would say stay in school. I didn't bother having enough fun in college, I kinda regret it (a little). Once your college years are over they are gone forever. Plus the economy is shit right now, I don't think you are going to miss an opportunity if you don't get out now (this wasn't always the case).

Whatever you decide, just make your decision and roll on. You can't think about what could have been. Good luck.

[BMW F22]

When I was in undergrad I wanted to graduate because that's what everyone was aiming for. It's like "go to college and graduate". Looking back I should have stayed another year or two. My college did not allow anyone to come back and get another major. Basically you can stay and do double major but once you've graduated, you can't simply come back, take more courses and get another degree in a similar field.

Also, the job market sucks right now. So unless you have something good lined up, there really is no point in graduating early. You should stay in school, learn new things (take more classes and maybe do a double major), and do internships. That will give you experience, knowledge, a degree (or two), and will set you up for the future.

[BrokenVert]

dual major?