Today I was reminded that spring graduation is right around the corner. My Facebook newsfeed is full of graduation announcements. As the weather gets warmer, seeing students poised in front of the Bell Tower dressed in pristine caps and gowns will become more and more frequent. For me, this time of year means saying goodbye to many of my friends. I came to NC State in fall 2012, which means that I should be walking across the stage this May — but I won’t. Changing my major and adding a minor means that my time here will be extended by one extra semester. Coming to grips with the fact that many of the friends who I had come to know and love will be leaving NC State and starting their lives before me was hard to do.
Some of those friends will start careers in new cities; others may stick around, while some choose to return home. Either way, it’s easy to feel like you may be left behind. The plan is to go away to college, finish in four years and have a job or graduate school plans secured, right?
Not necessarily. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, “The 2013 6-year graduation rate for first-time, full-time undergraduate students who began their pursuit of a bachelor’s degree at a 4-year degree-granting institution in fall 2007 was 59 percent.”
An article written in Time Magazine by Victor Luckerson, titled “The Myth of the Four-Year College Degree,” states that at public institutions, less than a third of students graduate on time. So if graduating in four years isn’t happening, then you may be in good company.
There are downsides to graduating late. As we all know, college isn’t free, and each semester is more than likely to add to our student debt. So taking a good look at our financial situations is always a must when deciding whether to walk the stage, or walk to another class. Choosing to graduate late can also be hard to do when you’re drowning in due dates, group projects and the enrollment window just won’t seem to cooperate with you.
Why would I ever want to put myself through the misery of dealing with another semester when I could graduate college and start my easy, breezy life as an adult? My time here at NC State is what I make it. Graduating a semester late, or even a year or two late can mean different things for different people. Haven’t used your grade exclusions? Want to retake a class you bombed your freshman year? These are all potentially possible. In fact, depending on what you’re interested in, adding a minor may also be possible.
Late graduations don’t mean you’re a failure and graduating on time doesn’t guarantee you lifelong success. Optimizing your time and possibilities, however, is always a wise decision.
