Degrees To Go – College In Three

By my junior year of college, I was getting tired of sitting in a classroom. I was doing real reporting for stories that got a good grade, but just sat on my computer after that, without a chance to get published. I was in my second semester of an amazing internship that let me write “for real,” and I wanted a chance to get a “real” job and be in the “real” world.

So I decided to graduate in three years. Some people — everyone from my best friend to semi-strangers — thought I was crazy for graduating early. Why would I want college to be over ever, let alone a year earlier than it should be? Why would I want to have to accept the responsibilities of being an adult?

At graduation, I heard the names of two girls from my freshman year floor. That’s three out of about 50 people, so I’m sure there were a few others, too. Either I’m not the only crazy one, or students are seeing the benefits of a three-year college experience.

Some colleges have “seen the light,” so to speak, and jumped on board the three-yeard bandwagon as well. Hartwick College in upstate New York, Lipscomb University in Nashville, and Ball State University in Indiana are mentioned in a recent Newsweek article by Lamar Alexander, but they aren’t the only ones with three-year programs. Rhode Island is even working to pass a bill requiring state universities to offer a three-year option. The most common way to graduate early, though, is to overload classes, take summer courses, or use AP high school credits to complete a four-year degree course more quickly.

In a competitive job market and depressed economy, completing college in three years has its advantages. Graduates enter the job market sooner and get a head start on their job search, at which time the explanation of, “Oh, I graduated in three years,” will sound great to employers and give them an edge over other applicants. They (or their parents) are also saving a year’s worth of tuition, which either means smaller loans to pay back or money to put to another use.

There are, of course, the dissenters — including fellow students who think those of us who choose to graduate early are “crazy” for missing out on the fun of a final year of college — who take issue with shortened programs because they “[deprive] students of the luxury of time to roam intellectually…[and leave] less time for growing up, engaging in extracurricular activities, and studying abroad,” says Alexander. Some even wonder if a 20- or 21-year-old graduate is mature enough to tackle the “real” world.

Sure, those are good points, but give us some credit. Those of us who want the chance to take lots of classes, study abroad, and do everything there is to do on campus probably aren’t the ones considering graduating in three years; we know it wouldn’t be possible, and we wouldn’t want to try, anyhow. But there are those of us who come to college knowing exactly what we want to do, who plan on pursuing more degrees, or who get halfway through college and are eager to graduate so they can put their skills to use. We came in with AP credits from high school or took extra classes over the summer, and we are definitely mature enough to handle a job — we’ve probably already done an internship or two — or graduate school. That’s not to say one group is more motivated or driven than the other; we’re just focused on different things and are pursuing different learning paths.

When we organized our school year, as Alexander points out, we were living in a society where college was pretty much a foreign concept and students needed summers off to work on family farms. We’re a hundred or so years out of that social model, and elementary, middle and high schools have been re-thinking their school calendars for years. Students take advanced courses in high school, or they graduate early. Taking an extra year to complete a college degree is also common. Why, then, is leaving early or entering a three-year degree program so…stigmatized?

As a three-year graduate, I am a little sad I won’t get to celebrate Senior Week with my friends. I do miss living in Boston, seeing my Boston friends and having an amazing internship. And I’m working as a secretary, so I didn’t exactly land my dream job right out of college.

But in this economic climate, if you DID get that “dream job” right after graduation, you’re an anomaly. I’m freelancing, and because I’m at the beginning of my career, I don’t mind writing for free (although, soon, some money would be nice) because at least I’m still getting a chance to use my degree. I have another job to make money, and that still feels successful because, technically, I should be sitting in class. I can talk to my friends and plan visits to Boston. And I still had a graduation and a graduation celebration.

I don’t really see the downside.

Image: fee-ach