You got the “fat envelope” and you rushed out and bought the sweatshirt that said “Class of 2013”. Now it’s halfway through sophomore year and you:
- Just changed majors
- Forgot about your core requirements
- Can’t get into the classes for your core requirements
- Haven’t taken enough courses in your major
- Didn’t take a full course load one semester
- Flunked (oh, no!) that physics course
- Had to take 3 (non-credit) remedial courses, or
- Plan to transfer to another school.
Ouch! You are looking at what the College Board refers to as OVERTIME!
Now, you may be having the time of your life and think ending up as a “super senior” isn’t a half bad idea (so what if you have to scratch out the “3” on your sweatshirt and use your favorite nail polish/magic marker to write in a “4”), but better check your bank account. A fifth year adds 25% to that already pricey education Dad is complaining about. It also means missing the graduation parties with your friends.
Unfortunately (or fortunately—depending on your viewpoint), the latter isn’t necessarily a problem. Statistics show that only 36% of students entering a four-year college actually graduate in four years. So, you may have plenty of company for the “non-graduation” parties at the end of year four.
My oldest daughter attended a large Midwestern university. Luckily, she was enrolled in an interdisciplinary program that guaranteed that she would complete her graduation requirements by sophomore year. She realized how lucky she was when faced with the schools Byzantine (i.e. hopelessly complicated) registration system. Access to courses rotated every quarter alphabetically by last name. If your name was Adams, you likely got first choice at registration your first semester. By second semester the second quarter of the alphabet got first choice and you were relegated to last, choosing between obscure history courses and impossibly difficult physics labs.
Room, board and tuition aren’t the only costs for that fifth year. You’ll put off starting your career (and earning a salary) for another year. Alternatively, you’ll be one year behind in your plan for law school, medical school, etc. (Not to mention, taking five or six years to get through school won’t look good on your graduate school application!)
There are valid reasons for a fifth year. One student may take a year off for a character-building experience such as Outward Bound. Another may choose to experience a year’s internship in her chosen field. A third may discover his passion only after a year or two of wide-ranging courses. And some take a lighter course load or even a year off to earn money to pay for finishing that education.
Nevertheless, it makes sense to keep your eye on that graduation date. Consider ways to avoid that extra year as outlined by eCampus Tours and fastweb. Watch your core requirements, keep your grades up, and be sure that the decision to take a fifth or sixth year is based on good, solid reasons, and not the product of careless scheduling or too much partying.
