The Pros and Cons of Graduating Early

Much of the time, college students who are able to get the classes they need and have an education plan are able to graduate early. Graduating early can be a blessing or a curse depending on how you look at it; it worked for my fellow virtual intern Jessica but how do you know if it's right for you? Here are some questions to ask yourself:

1. Do you have job offers lined up after graduation?

• If you have a job waiting for you, graduating early would be a benefit for you. You would be ahead of other classmates in your field and would have time to work rather than taking extra classes that aren’t necessary. If not, graduating early may not work for you. Staying the extra semester or quarter would allow you resources to find a job via student internships, the college career center and university relations in company HR departments.

2. Did you go to college close to home?

• If you said yes, then graduating early wouldn’t be a tough transition but if you attended college further away, graduating early may be more difficult. Many if not all of your friends were will still be in school and you’ll also miss out on the senior graduation programs.

3. Did you take out loans to pay for college?

• Students with loans often try to graduate early because it saves them some money: Rather than taking out more loans and building up interest on the ones you already have, students can save an entire semester or quarter’s worth of tuition, housing and miscellaneous expenses. If you paid for college with scholarships, grants and savings, there isn’t as much of a financial strain to stay the full time since you don’t have to pay the money back like you have to with loans.

After you answer these questions, you should be able to determine if you should graduate early or not. Just remember there are pros and cons to both and you should choose the path that’s right for you.

Radha Jhatakia is a communications major at San Jose State University. She's a transfer student who had some ups and downs in school and many obstacles to face; these challenges – plus support from family, friends and cat – have only made Radha stronger and have given her the experience to help others with the same issues. In her spare time, she enjoys writing, reading, cooking, sewing and designing. A social butterfly, Radha hopes to work in public relations and marketing upon graduation.