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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Cal Poly chapter.

It’s so often said that “college will be the best four years of your life.” But the more accurate saying sounds something like “college will be the best four and a half to five years of your life!” or “the best four years and one quarter -maybe two depending on your schedule -of your life!” It doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue.

For a while, I felt like I was the only one who couldn’t complete her degree in four years. My freshmen-year friends are psyching themselves up about graduation while I struggle through another round of the hellish class registration for next quarter. It feels strange and a little lonely to not finish college with the people that were there with me in the beginning.

But there are so many college students who don’t earn their degree in the typical 4 years! In fact, this NY Times article claims that only a small minority of public four-year colleges graduate their students on time. It attributes reasons such as finances and credit transfers to why so many people take longer to finish their studies nowadays. So it turns out a lot of us undergrads are in the same boat.

So even though I don’t fulfill the most common college clichĂ© of all, it’s not all bad. In fact, taking extra time to get a degree can be very rewarding. I chose to attend my particular college for many good reasons, and I get to enjoy it for a little longer before becoming an adult with a job (hopefully) and at least 3 cats (definitely). I can use my time wisely, whether it’s taking a fun class that never fit in my schedule or exploring parts of town I never did before. There’s more potential to squeeze as much life as I can out of my college experience.

Most importantly, even though I’m not graduating with the class I started college with, I am graduating with another group of people who are equally as smart and diverse. They are the ones who I can complain to about the killer midterms and share career advice and drink several cups of coffee with over long study dates. Taking a little extra time with a victory lap gave me the opportunity to know my college classmates more than just a name and a face in a lecture hall. Not graduating in 4 years doesn’t mean graduating alone.

Valentina Sainato is a 5th year English major and Ethnic Studies minor at Cal Poly SLO. She loves to read, always having a book in hand. She's also a devoted dancer who knows 12 different styles, and runs the SLO swing dancing scene. When she isn't working as a writing tutor, you can find her at any coffee shop in town (probably reading) or trying her best at the gym. Valentina is thrilled to be a writer and the senior editor for Her Campus Cal Poly!
Dakota Greenwich is a Cal Poly 3rd year English Major, studying for her undergraduate and minors in linguistics and graphic communications. This is her 2nd year writing for Her Campus and in her spare time, she works at the Kennedy Library, studies, and blogs. She loves to discuss and research current social issues including women's rights and political issues. If you don't see her working at my campus library or studying, you can find her at her favorite coffee shop, Scout Coffee, reading a thriller novel.