How to Graduate from College in Four Years

The most common mistake undergraduate college students make is assuming college is a four year plan that has been laid out for them. However for many obtaining a bachelor's degree takes over four years.

A full time student is considered as taking 12 or more credit hours per semester. Taking this minimum amount for four years only adds up to 96 credit hours. Most undergraduate degrees require 120 credit hours, therefore, to finish college in four years you have to take a sufficient amount of credit hours each semester.

So if finishing college in four years is your goal you need to determine how many credit hours to take each semester, stick with a major, and be aware of scheduling conflicts.

To determine the number of hours divide the number of credit hours required for your degree by eight; this gives you the average number of credit hours you need to take each semester. Your degree requirements should be given to you on your first visit with an academic advisor or it can be found in the academic catalog.

Communications academic advisor Patricia Mellon at Purdue University Calumet recommends, taking a minimum of 15 credit hours each semester and two classes in summer sessions, for a degree of 126 credit hours. The summer session is a good way to make up any credit hours you did not take during the semester or if you are falling behind in your credit hours.

Changing majors is the main reason students fall behind in credit hours. Changing your major can add years to obtaining your degree. This is because when you change majors you are starting over fresh, each school and department has different requirements. Try to establish a major early, because keeping your credit hours on track is important.

To avoid having too many classes conflict, start taking your core requirements--the classes that are directly related to your major-early, spread out those core requirements over the four years. Some students may not have this option because their semesters are already laid out for them such as in the nursing department, but for everyone else I would recommend taking these classes early.

Sometimes core classes are only offered once a semester or once a year, which can make scheduling difficult. Talk with your advisor to find out if you have any classes that are fall or spring only classes.

General education classes such as English, History, and Math are easier to schedule because they are required for most students. To sum it up, schedule your core requirements first each semester then fill the rest of your schedule with general classes.

Another important note is core classes tend to have a heavier work load, so you do not want to take all your core classes together. If you do you will be stressed out and exhausted. General classes tend to have a lighter work load, so having a mix of core and general classes will lighten your overall load.

Knowing your scheduling constraints and taking sufficient credit hours should have you on your way to graduating in four years. Hopefully you are now more enlightened, so do not feel anxious. Graduation is just around the corner.