Typically, you are supposed to graduate in 4 years. However, my school is way overcrowded. We have over 30,000 students at this freakin' school, which makes it a little difficult to get classes sometimes. That's not to say that I can't do it. I'm actually able to graduate in 4 years.
Here are the pros to graduating in 4 years:
- I would graduate on time. That has to "look good" in general.
- I'd obviously be saving moo-lah. And dude, I am poor. And my dad has reminded me that he will only help out financially for 4 years. And that's understandable. It would really suck to be in debt...and the consequences of being in debt would follow me FOREVER. I'm not saying that I would go in debt, but it's quite possible.
- It's a new/exciting time in life I wouldn't have to wait for.
- How much more school and studying can I really take?
Here are the pros to gradutating in 5 years:
- I don 't want to grow up. I want to stay in school forever. Believe me, I realize the childishness of this argument, but it doesn't mean I don't feel it. Am I ready to enter the work force? I mean, am I really ready? I know that no one is REALLY prepared and really I should just get over it...but I also don't want to be a little lamb ripped apart by the hungry wolves in the world...I want to feel MORE prepared.
- If I take less classes per semester (since they would be spread out over 2 years rather than one) I could actually fit some internships in. It would be fantastic (and wise) to have some internships (even just one) under my belt. Not just for resumes, but to gain experience and knowledge in general.
- I could actually work for the newspaper. I know I've brought this up many, many times before, but I've never had time for it. If I'm gonna write for the newspaper, I want to actually be on the staff, and not just a contributing writer. I want to put my all into it. And there's no way I have time for that now or next year (if I were to graduate).
- I'm not going to grad school, so it't not like I'm adding on yet another year of schooling onto my list. After San Diego State, I'm done.
- I just don't feel ready to graduate. I just don't. I know that I still have another year to really assess if I feel ready...but is year really that much time???
Ok, so I've hit every angle, I believe. If you actually read this huge tangle of an argument, give me some feedback. Tell me what you did and how it went. I'm curious, and I'm confused. I just need help in general!!
I faced the same decision and I ended up extending my stay in college and graduated in 5 years.
ReplyDeleteMy family cut me off financially at year 4, too so I had to take out a student loan and work more hours in menial jobs through the last year, but it was a very light year school-wise.
When I was approaching graduation, no one who interviewed me thought 5 years was a bad thing. I told them I worked during the last few years of school (as you have done) and that was sufficient and acceptable to everyone who interviewed me. I was lucky and landed a job right at graduation and have been employed ever since. I did pay off the debt I accrued that last year in about 6 years (that's only because I paid the student loan off at the very minimum payment level as it was incredibly low-interest and I was generally lazy about it!).
If you aren't ready to get out there and be a full-time employee, then by all means, take the extra year of school!! It's one year of the rest of your life. ENJOY IT!!!
I took a year off out of highschool before college. I finished my Bachelors in four years and immediately went back for a Masters which I completed in a year. If I could afford it I would go back and get a Doctorate. I loved college, its just so damn expensive!
ReplyDeletei'd say go for four...i know this has come up before. but really, i don't feel i'll be ready to graduate after next year either...but who is? even at my school where you can always get the classes you need, people are scared/don't feel they are ready to graduate. i just wouldn't want you to do it because you thought it would be easier. also, when you look for a job after graduating, company's don't expect you to be experts in your field. you only have a degree, and no job experience...that's what your first job/first internship is for. it will be hard/frustrating cause you aren't at the same level as your co-workers...but those same co-workers were in your exact position. it's a learning/growing experience. for me, in a way, i am lucky my concentration/program requires an internship senior year, but it will also make me very busy. anyways, i know you and i think you should go for four years considering what you wrote and because i think you could do it. but we can talk about it later (friday for lunch, haha i'll call you). well, that's what i think...love ya!
ReplyDeleteDon't be a slacker...get done with it and move on to adulthood. Bring on the debt baby!
ReplyDeletestay and hang out with me...otherwise I'll be all by myself...dont wanna be....allll by myself...
ReplyDeletewell, you see...it's not so much slacking as saving my sanity.
ReplyDeleteThe reason I want to take an extra year is because if I try to graduate next year I'll be thoroughly stressed out. I'll have to take 6 classes one semester and 7 the next. I think that if I did that, I would break.
Sooooo yeah. I'm still deciding. More on this later.
I think your point on getting internships is really important. Boyfriend, who is graduating in exactly a week, has had to go into business and not media/journalism because of ths competitiveness of the field and the lack of experience and a sufficient amount of published work. If you really wanted to go into that area, I would say internships and getting your work published are super important, and that extra year will give you that time need...
ReplyDeleteOh and the feeling of leaving and graduating is a black dooming cloud with a silver lining, i can totally understand why you are apprehnsive..I am scared out of my mind.