No Regrets: Interview With An Early College Graduate

Last semester I watched as my friend graduated a whole year early. I was both proud and sad because it meant my last year (the year we were supposed to have together) was going to be lonely without her. As well as us not graduating together. 

While I am back and missing the frantic coffee runs and searching the campus grounds so I could yell good morning, the year has been off to a good start. However, this article isn’t about me…no. This article is about my friend and her decision to graduate early and what it has been like as a graduate.

How did you make the decision to graduate early?  

I had enough college credits from high school and I figured it would be a great way to reduce my student loans. It was sad to leave friends and the things I liked about college, but exciting knowing the hard work I’ve done was being paid off. 

Did you always know you’ll make this call?

Once I realized I could save a year of tuition I was pretty set on the decision. More so, midway through freshman year, I realized the credits I would need to have my degree would be achievable in three years.

Was there anything at the back of your mind telling you to stay longer? If so, how did you push those thoughts away? 

Not until it was too late. A year ago I felt extremely ready to be done with school. There were the emotional and the practical components to the decision and I didn’t consider many of the emotional components until it was too late. 

How was it telling everyone closest to you that this is what you were going to do?

It was something I talked about since freshman year so it wasn’t really a big reveal. There were some people who I didn’t know how they felt about me leaving early until it was too late. I think if sophomore me knew how strong some of the connections I had with people were it might have made me rethink things. It’s hard to say that for sure though.

Were there people who helped guide you on your decision? 

Not really. I went to my advisor about it multiple times and she didn’t offer any super helpful advice, just that I could and I might as well save the tuition. To answer your next question, a lot of people told me not to graduate early because college is a four-year deferment from real life and once you leave college there’s no going back. Basically saying not to rush into adulthood. 

During college, I felt very ready to get into the real world and start adulthood. To anyone considering graduation a year early, I would say to really think it through and not just focus on the financial aspect. In the long run, I do think I made the right decision but it’s definitely difficult to watch all your friends return to school while you are facing the reality that you will either be back at home without all your friends around or moving to a new place where you don’t know anybody.

If you had the chance at a do-over, would you choose another path? 

To get all the experience I wanted in college, my last year was too busy. I also learned that hiring in a lot of industries slows way down in the summer and overall, I think looking for a job while you are still in school and aren’t feeling the panic of having to find something quickly would have been a much better experience.

If I had to do it again, I would have stayed one more semester and graduated in December. I would have made my last semester as easy as possible and focused on enjoying my last bit of time at school and of course, applying for jobs to start in January. That being said, it might be hard, but once you decide when to graduate it is important to be confident in it and not get caught up in what might have been if you did things differently.

Another thing, whether you are graduating early or not, do everything you can to make your last semester as free as possible. You want to make time for job searching and soaking up the last bit of college life and friendships a priority. Lower grades in a couple of classes and having to quit some extracurriculars will be more than worth it.

Are you currently working? How has the process of finding a job treated you? Are there any tips you would tell students about job searching?

I had a temporary summer job and I have a full-time retail job set up, but I’m hoping I might not end up needing to start. However, I will see in the next week or so. There are two main things I wish I knew before starting my job search. 

 Firstly, companies hire at different paces. If the position is new or being vacated with notice it could be a good month or two before hearing back after submitting your application. If the position was vacated recently and they need to quickly fill a position it could be a week or so. Also, if there is an email available, feel free to shoot an email and ask about the timeline for their hiring process, but if not, don’t get discouraged by long waiting periods. This is why I learned it’s better to apply for jobs before leaving school. 

Another funny thing that happened to me is I kept hearing people mention a “September surge” in hiring. Basically, companies slow down hiring in the summer because they have interns and vacations. On September 1st, I got three interviews within an hour, so it’s a very real thing. Don’t be discouraged while job searching in the summer. If you have a place to live the summer after you graduate, focus more on figuring out the kind of job you want, perfecting your resume and cover letter, and start sending them out at the end of July to August.

While I and many others are still on campus missing her, it was a great decision she made well for herself. If anyone reading this is deciding on whether to graduate early or not I hope this article helps.

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