Graduating college a semester or full year early?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m just hoping my kid finishes in 4 years! 😊

I know 2 boys who finished in 4.5 years, they are doing well: one is a mechanical engineer, another one is an accountant. Both took 1 more semester because they failed a class required for their major and had to retake it.

[Anonymous]

Kids with a lot of AP credits either graduate early (3 or 3.5 yrs), tack on a master's program to complete in 4-4.5 yrs, or do a double major/minor. Common, has been done forever.

Not sure what kids will 'miss out' by not staying around senior year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child graduated from UMD a semester early and there were two cons. Housing the last semester was a little tricky to coordinate and there was no December ceremony.

My DS will graduate from UMD in Computer Engineering in two days one semester early.  He will finish his finals on Friday and he can't wait to leave UMD and start traveling for the next six months in Europe, Asia, and South America, with the tuition/room/board that we will give him, on top of a 50K cash gift from my FIL.  There will be a job waiting for him when he comes back from the trip.  There is no need to spend another useless semester in school for undergrad.  

He might feel different when he gets to work and sees he is undereducated compared to his high performing peers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child graduated from UMD a semester early and there were two cons. Housing the last semester was a little tricky to coordinate and there was no December ceremony.

My DS will graduate from UMD in Computer Engineering in two days one semester early.  He will finish his finals on Friday and he can't wait to leave UMD and start traveling for the next six months in Europe, Asia, and South America, with the tuition/room/board that we will give him, on top of a 50K cash gift from my FIL.  There will be a job waiting for him when he comes back from the trip.  There is no need to spend another useless semester in school for undergrad.  

He might feel different when he gets to work and sees he is undereducated compared to his high performing peers.

Huh? This is just nasty and based on nothing. NP, by the way, but why do people post these kinds of attacks?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child graduated from UMD a semester early and there were two cons. Housing the last semester was a little tricky to coordinate and there was no December ceremony.

My DS will graduate from UMD in Computer Engineering in two days one semester early.  He will finish his finals on Friday and he can't wait to leave UMD and start traveling for the next six months in Europe, Asia, and South America, with the tuition/room/board that we will give him, on top of a 50K cash gift from my FIL.  There will be a job waiting for him when he comes back from the trip.  There is no need to spend another useless semester in school for undergrad.  

He might feel different when he gets to work and sees he is undereducated compared to his high performing peers.

Huh? This is just nasty and based on nothing. NP, by the way, but why do people post these kinds of attacks?

jealousy, pure and simple

when he starts working and shares his travels for six months, his peers at work will be jealous. I know I would be.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child graduated from UMD a semester early and there were two cons. Housing the last semester was a little tricky to coordinate and there was no December ceremony.

My DS will graduate from UMD in Computer Engineering in two days one semester early.  He will finish his finals on Friday and he can't wait to leave UMD and start traveling for the next six months in Europe, Asia, and South America, with the tuition/room/board that we will give him, on top of a 50K cash gift from my FIL.  There will be a job waiting for him when he comes back from the trip.  There is no need to spend another useless semester in school for undergrad.  

How nice for your kid, but most of us don’t get to play with $75k straight out of college

I am 46 and still haven’t made it overseas

dp.. yes, it is nice for that ^PP's kid. Why do you have to be so nasty. OP was asking why would people graduate early, and the ^PP responded. No need to be nasty.

It's nasty to point out what an incredibly privileged position this particular kid is in? It's the absolute truth. He graduated early so he could go travel the world with large amounts of money from other people?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m just hoping my kid finishes in 4 years! 😊

I know 2 boys who finished in 4.5 years, they are doing well: one is a mechanical engineer, another one is an accountant. Both took 1 more semester because they failed a class required for their major and had to retake it.

It took me 4.5 years, and also went back for another 2 years for a different degree, and I ended up making six figures by 30, will be retiring before 60. I come from a low income, immigrant background.

It can indeed work out. But, you have to know how to hustle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child graduated from UMD a semester early and there were two cons. Housing the last semester was a little tricky to coordinate and there was no December ceremony.

My DS will graduate from UMD in Computer Engineering in two days one semester early.  He will finish his finals on Friday and he can't wait to leave UMD and start traveling for the next six months in Europe, Asia, and South America, with the tuition/room/board that we will give him, on top of a 50K cash gift from my FIL.  There will be a job waiting for him when he comes back from the trip.  There is no need to spend another useless semester in school for undergrad.  

He might feel different when he gets to work and sees he is undereducated compared to his high performing peers.

My CS kid is graduating early. He feels in CS experience is much more important that more class work. Lots of the early graduators have piles of AP credits and took extra credits each semester. They are not undereducated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child graduated from UMD a semester early and there were two cons. Housing the last semester was a little tricky to coordinate and there was no December ceremony.

My DS will graduate from UMD in Computer Engineering in two days one semester early.  He will finish his finals on Friday and he can't wait to leave UMD and start traveling for the next six months in Europe, Asia, and South America, with the tuition/room/board that we will give him, on top of a 50K cash gift from my FIL.  There will be a job waiting for him when he comes back from the trip.  There is no need to spend another useless semester in school for undergrad.  

How nice for your kid, but most of us don’t get to play with $75k straight out of college

I am 46 and still haven’t made it overseas

dp.. yes, it is nice for that ^PP's kid. Why do you have to be so nasty. OP was asking why would people graduate early, and the ^PP responded. No need to be nasty.

It's nasty to point out what an incredibly privileged position this particular kid is in? It's the absolute truth. He graduated early so he could go travel the world with large amounts of money from other people?

it is a privilege, but not sure why you need to point it out in such a nasty way. You pointing this out has zero to do with this thread, and you clearly needed to point it out because of how jealous and bitter you are.

FWIW, I'm from a lower income, immigrant background. And I think that ^^PP kid is super lucky, and it's great that he can do that. Don't be so bitter.

right back at ya

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child graduated from UMD a semester early and there were two cons. Housing the last semester was a little tricky to coordinate and there was no December ceremony.

My DS will graduate from UMD in Computer Engineering in two days one semester early.  He will finish his finals on Friday and he can't wait to leave UMD and start traveling for the next six months in Europe, Asia, and South America, with the tuition/room/board that we will give him, on top of a 50K cash gift from my FIL.  There will be a job waiting for him when he comes back from the trip.  There is no need to spend another useless semester in school for undergrad.  

He might feel different when he gets to work and sees he is undereducated compared to his high performing peers.

My CS kid is graduating early. He feels in CS experience is much more important that more class work. Lots of the early graduators have piles of AP credits and took extra credits each semester. They are not undereducated.

+1 hysterical that the ^PP thinks these kids who are smart are "undereducated".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know several people who did this and did it myself--whether because of incoming college credits, AP credits, overloads, summers, etc. All had different reasons, including financial, family care issues, etc. I most admired a friend who decided to take a semester off in the middle and go overseas and work on a work permit at a restaurant in a busy metropolis--she said it was the experience of her life, it paid for itself, then she came back and graduated on time with peers at four years. At least some of those who graduated early felt a bit left out because of all the senior events, esp graduation (one came back and walked for the grand procession, secretly). If your DC might be someone who would connect with incoming class and be interested in reconnecting at later reunions, keep in mind that they might get put in the reunion-year bucket for the year of graduation, which likely is not the peers they know--though with persistence, you can sometimes get the alumni office to recode/peg you to the four-year graduating class year.

\
that's a good way to do it.. take a gap semester.

[Anonymous]

This is not possible at top private colleges, right?

[Anonymous]

Let's not kid ourselves, there can be real downsides to graduating early. Obviously the big upsides are saving tuition and starting your career sooner. Some downsides are:

(1) Less time to do undergrad research and publish to build your resume for a grad program

(2) Less time to build relationships and ith faculty to get the best recommendation letters

(3) Less time to take extra classes that fill knowledge gaps for your intended career, but which aren't strictly required

(4) Less of an opportunity to try courses in other fields and discover what interests you most

(5) You lose the summer internship opportunities either by taking courses or by having fewer summers. Many internships are only open to students so you can necessarily get these opportunities back.

(6) It's harder to fit in a study abroad or co-op

(7) Less time to build lasting relationships with classmates

(8) Missing fun senior year experiences that you cannot get back

(9) Reduced opportunities to take the really interesting capstone courses in your major(s) or minor(s)

(10) At some schools, a lower likelihood that you can finish an undergrad thesis to get an honors degree

[Anonymous]

A family member graduated a year early, then traveled around South America and Asia. Now works for the State Department.

I know more people who took longer to graduate due to taking a break or switching majors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child graduated from UMD a semester early and there were two cons. Housing the last semester was a little tricky to coordinate and there was no December ceremony.

My DS will graduate from UMD in Computer Engineering in two days one semester early.  He will finish his finals on Friday and he can't wait to leave UMD and start traveling for the next six months in Europe, Asia, and South America, with the tuition/room/board that we will give him, on top of a 50K cash gift from my FIL.  There will be a job waiting for him when he comes back from the trip.  There is no need to spend another useless semester in school for undergrad.  

He might feel different when he gets to work and sees he is undereducated compared to his high performing peers.

My CS kid is graduating early. He feels in CS experience is much more important that more class work. Lots of the early graduators have piles of AP credits and took extra credits each semester. They are not undereducated.

+1 hysterical that the ^PP thinks these kids who are smart are "undereducated".

Not only that but the fact that these kids have already taken advanced courses in high school or college before ever even showing up for college hardly means they are "undereducated". lolol. The kids i know at UVA who entered as second year students are super stars in their Governors Schools programs.