Ten Ways to Earn Your Degree Faster

For many degree-seekers, especially older students that are returning to school or even going for the first time, attaining a degree as fast as possible is a must. However, most students, young and old, have no idea how to shorten the time it takes to earn their diploma. Here are ten tips to dash your way to graduation day.

1. Pick the right college
Sounds simple, right? Well, most prospective students, especially adults returning to school after many years, consider location and tuition cost as the top reasons for selecting their institution of higher learning. The first thing any student should ask a school that they are interested in attending is how long on average does a degree in their chosen field take to achieve at the school. This is important because many schools only offer some higher-level classes once a year and getting a seat in that class may prove difficult, thus delaying graduation. Also, if you have previous credits from other schools, before enrolling, check to see how many credits will transfer to your new school. Some schools will transfer credits that are 25 years old, while others will give students a hard time about accepting a course taken less than a year ago that uses the same textbook as their equivalent class. Something to keep in mind with the transferring process is that individual advisors or admissions personnel are usually the decision-makers for awarding credit and very little rules apply. So, if your request for a transfer credit gets denied, appeal the decision with a detailed letter that outlines the class syllabus and states a good argument. Oftentimes, it will persuade the new school to honor your request.

2. Fast track or accelerated programs
Fast track or accelerated degree programs may also be available from certain schools. These intensive programs squeeze 4-year degrees into 2 or 3 years. Be wary of these degree programs, especially if they are offered online, because a great deal of institutions with shaky accreditation offer them to attract more students. However, with busy schedules and a large number of adult students, more legitimate accelerated programs are becoming available than ever before.

3. Go full-time
Students that must work to support themselves usually end up taking a part-time class schedule. However, it may be wise to go full-time and just work part-time and borrow the rest of your living expenses through a low-interest student loan. Getting a degree faster will mean higher earnings in the pocket sooner. So, it may be wise to borrow the money now and reap the bigger paycheck sooner.

4. Don't take the summer off
A majority of students take the summer off because they claim to need the "recuperation" time from their busy full-time workload. This is almost always a mistake because the summer session is usually the shortest and in most cases still gives the student 1-2 weeks after the spring quarter and before the fall quarter for a much-needed break. Also, with summer being the least population session of the year, class sizes are sometimes smaller and getting a seat is easier.

5. Drop your minor
If you have a minor, chances are you should drop it, unless it will definitely mean the difference between you getting a job (and this is a rarity). Minors will usually mean extra credits you have to earn before you reach your goal and they almost never impact a prospective employer's decision to hire a candidate.

6. Choose classes wisely
Especially when college is a new thing for a student, they feel the need to explore. This exploration sometimes happens when looking over the college class catalog and results in unneeded credits for the student. Almost every degree does have what are called "free electives" where the student can basically take any class to meet the requirement. However, too many free electives and you'll be wasting precious time and money. Every student should map out an entire degree with an advisor to see what they should take and when to ensure their journey is as short and efficient as possible.

7. Online classes
A friend of mine literally shaved a year off of his 4-year degree by taking a class online in addition to his regular course load every quarter. Some online classes are also self-paced, so if life gets hectic, it can be put on hold. Again, just be sure that these credits will transfer to your school. However, almost all colleges and universities offer some type of online class now.

8. CLEP tests
CLEP, which stands for College-level examination program, are tests that you can take in a variation of subjects to earn credit for subjects in which you are already well-versed. These tests save students time and money. Most colleges award 3 to 6 credits per test and each test costs around $85 (depending on the administration fee of the testing center). A great deal of students actually just get study guides and specifically study themselves for CLEP tests, even concerning subjects they are not familiar with.

9. DANTES tests
DANTES or DDST tests are often associated with military personnel, but these tests can also be taken by civilians for college credit as well. These tests are often considered "easier" than CLEPs by most test takers and are very comparable in regards to cost. DANTES come in a wide variety of subjects, including a lot of subjects that CLEPs do not cover.

10. FEMA credits
So many students at the end of their degree-seeking road, find that they just need a few credits to graduated and oftentimes, they are free electives. If that is the case or if a student just wants to get a jump on credit earning, FEMA Independent Study is a good way to pick easy credits up. FEMA stands for the Federal Emergency Management Agency. This is the agency that deals with disaster relief in situations like hurricanes, floods, etc. They offer a variety of quick and easy online courses, most of which are worth one credit each. They are work-at-your-own-pace and, best of all, they are free. To read more about FEMA independent study, go to www.training.fema.gov/IS .