Whats with the rush to get through college?

[kami333]

Debt is probably the biggest factor. Though $20,000-30,000 is a significant amount of money, compared to the rest of your working life I think it's pretty inconsequential, not enough motivation for me to cram at least.

I can say that as a senior I couldn't wait until I graduated and didn't have to put up with all the stuff like work and requirements (I was taking 16hrs + 8hrs of lab, plus 5hrs work), all I wanted was a 8-4 job 5days a week, just come home and not have to deal with homework or studying. Now that I've graduated though I have been toying with the idea of going back to take free classes next year, after my 1year internship.

 

[thirtythree]

hmm, sounds like the people who replied to my thread.

 

[Syrch]

Originally posted by: andrewjm
possibly the cost?

:thumbsup:

 

[dullard]

I find it refreshing that people here post about taking 20+ hours. I was surrounded by friends and others who took 12 hours a semester (minimum for full time) and then dropped half of their classes. To them college was a joke and a time to party. Heck I know someone who has been going to college full time since he was 18 and he is now 37. He is still without ANY degree. I sick of those slackers. It is nice to see people willing to work hard here on Anandtech.

I personally took between 15 and 17 credits each semester. I got my bachelors in 4 years, and a PhD by the age of 27. Due to circumstances beyond my control I had to delay graduation an extra semester or I would have gotten my PhD at the age of 26. I never felt rushed. I did everything I wanted to do. I still hang out with friends in college. You don't have to give that up when you graduate. FallenHero why would you feel we have to? Why after 4 years won't you have a social life?

Why rush? It isn't a rush to those people with the drive. To them it is the pace that they enjoy the most. Why sit on your a$$ taking 9 credit hours and spending $1000-$20000 a semester? Why not take more credits and earn $20000 a semester instead?

 

[DaiShan]

I wish I could take my time, my school counted more credits for AP's than I thought I would get (a 5 on one of my tests got me 8 credits lol) And I took 10 credits this summer at CC to boost my gpa a bit, but now going into my second year I have 71 credits, and I want to spend more time at school, it seriously is the time of your life.

/edit btw, at my school you have to have permission to take 19 credits, no way in hell they are letting someone take 24 credits in one semester.

 

[gsaldivar]

Why prolong the agony?

 

Originally posted by: Ameesh

Originally posted by: FallenHero
People here, going into college for the first time, asking if 19,21,24 hours is too much. Saying they won't party and how they took AP courses and all that bullhonky. What is the friggin rush? Look at it this way people...Never again in your life will you be around so many people your age with so much free time. Never again will you be surrounded by so many of those with many of the same interests. Never again will you get summers off (unless you are a teacher I guess), not have to worry about bills, and have almost total freedom.

Some of the best advice I've heard from a tourguide when I was checking out colleges is "You are here for yourself. I failed my calc class because it was way over my head, but I thought I had to prove how smart I was. Now I know that I don't have to prove how smart I am, or how many classes I can take. Thats stupid. Enjoy the social life, because after 4 years, you will never see it again."

You can always learn more later. Unless your major requires you to take 20 hours a semester, there is no reason to.

imo you goto college to be mentally stimulated, to learn a trade and round off your general education. you don't go to college to smoke pot and drink all the time. that may happen once in a while when you are having fun but its not the purpose of going to school. i'd say get your priorities straight

My priority is to enjoy life. I don't smoke pot, cigs, and I've gone to 8 parties total in 2 years of school. But that doesn't mean I have no social life. The amount of fun I've had at college makes it worth while, not the fact that I have a 3.7 GPA or that I am heavily involved in sports and other activities. I've met some really cool people, and I didn't do that by taking 21 hours a semester.

 

[Schadenfroh]

i want to get out of community college as quickly as possible

 

[homestarmy]

Because there are those of us who had to work 50-60 hours a week to pay for it...

 

Originally posted by: dullard
I find it refreshing that people here post about taking 20+ hours. I was surrounded by friends and others who took 12 hours a semester (minimum for full time) and then dropped half of their classes. To them college was a joke and a time to party. Heck I know someone who has been going to college full time since he was 18 and he is now 37. He is still without ANY degree. I sick of those slackers. It is nice to see people willing to work hard here on Anandtech.

I personally took between 15 and 17 credits each semester. I got my bachelors in 4 years, and a PhD by the age of 27. Due to circumstances beyond my control I had to delay graduation an extra semester or I would have gotten my PhD at the age of 26. I never felt rushed. I did everything I wanted to do. I still hang out with friends in college. You don't have to give that up when you graduate. FallenHero why would you feel we have to? Why after 4 years won't you have a social life?

Why rush? It isn't a rush to those people with the drive. To them it is the pace that they enjoy the most. Why sit on your a$$ taking 9 credit hours and spending $1000-$20000 a semester? Why not take more credits and earn $20000 a semester instead?

I'm not saying you won't have a social life. But at no other time in your life are you surrounded by 10000+ people your age, most of whom are willing to chat, have a good time, and try new things. But many of the AT people here want 20 credits hours a semester, and plan on hitting the books all the time...thats nice and all, but then you don't see those 10000+ people, which could help your social life out later.

 

[Fingolfin269]

Originally posted by: FallenHero

Originally posted by: dullard
I find it refreshing that people here post about taking 20+ hours. I was surrounded by friends and others who took 12 hours a semester (minimum for full time) and then dropped half of their classes. To them college was a joke and a time to party. Heck I know someone who has been going to college full time since he was 18 and he is now 37. He is still without ANY degree. I sick of those slackers. It is nice to see people willing to work hard here on Anandtech.

I personally took between 15 and 17 credits each semester. I got my bachelors in 4 years, and a PhD by the age of 27. Due to circumstances beyond my control I had to delay graduation an extra semester or I would have gotten my PhD at the age of 26. I never felt rushed. I did everything I wanted to do. I still hang out with friends in college. You don't have to give that up when you graduate. FallenHero why would you feel we have to? Why after 4 years won't you have a social life?

Why rush? It isn't a rush to those people with the drive. To them it is the pace that they enjoy the most. Why sit on your a$$ taking 9 credit hours and spending $1000-$20000 a semester? Why not take more credits and earn $20000 a semester instead?

I'm not saying you won't have a social life. But at no other time in your life are you surrounded by 10000+ people your age, most of whom are willing to chat, have a good time, and try new things. But many of the AT people here want 20 credits hours a semester, and plan on hitting the books all the time...thats nice and all, but then you don't see those 10000+ people, which could help your social life out later.

'Try new things'. Ah, how I miss the freshman girls!

 

[dullard]

Originally posted by: FallenHero
I'm not saying you won't have a social life. But at no other time in your life are you surrounded by 10000+ people your age, most of whom are willing to chat, have a good time, and try new things. But many of the AT people here want 20 credits hours a semester, and plan on hitting the books all the time...thats nice and all, but then you don't see those 10000+ people, which could help your social life out later.

20+ hours in many majors will give you 0 hours of homework. There is plenty of time for seeing those 10000+ people. Plus once you graduate, you can still see those 10000+ people. You can still be around people your age (who are taking 6+ years to graduate). You can still go to campus and hang around at the union/whatever your college hangout is.

Taking 20+ credits and graduating early has no correlation to ability to chat, have a good time, or try new things.

 

Originally posted by: rgwalt
Finishing sooner means that you spend less in living expenses, and can get a job and start making money sooner. For some people, they don't have a free ride (whether by scholarship or by parents) for college, and have to pay for tuition, room, board, books, etc all for themselves by working and/or loans. Finishing in 3 years means that they can start paying back the debt sooner and they don't have an extra year of living expenses.

That being said, I encourage taking 4 years and no more than 5. It is very easy to get burnt out on school and party too much. They key is finding a balance, and recognizing when you need to grow up and act like an adult.

R

I am paying for everything. I'm not saying go one the ten year program, but don't go on the 2 year program either unless its for a REALLY good reason. I can still graduate a semester early, although its more because of my internship and the options I have with it. If you can handle 20+ hours a semester, by all means, go for it. But to me, it seems like many of these kids are trying to prove how smart they are, when there is no point to doing so.

 

Originally posted by: dullard

Originally posted by: FallenHero
I'm not saying you won't have a social life. But at no other time in your life are you surrounded by 10000+ people your age, most of whom are willing to chat, have a good time, and try new things. But many of the AT people here want 20 credits hours a semester, and plan on hitting the books all the time...thats nice and all, but then you don't see those 10000+ people, which could help your social life out later.

20+ hours in many majors will give you 0 hours of homework. There is plenty of time for seeing those 10000+ people. Plus once you graduate, you can still see those 10000+ people. You can still be around people your age (who are taking 6+ years to graduate). You can still go to campus and hang around at the union/whatever your college hangout is.

Taking 20+ credits and graduating early has no correlation to ability to chat, have a good time, or try new things.

Many colleges are out in the middle of nowhere. 2+ hours of driving doesn't seem to be all that uncommon when going to school. I highly doubt most could still visit the college campuses after graduation on a near daily basis, or even weekly basis without it interfering with the job they have.

 

[TuxDave]

Originally posted by: andrewjm
possibly the cost?

Exactly. As for me, I just took tons of AP classes and credits my first couple of years so I could get the crap classes out of the way (aka Chemistry, etc etc...) and start taking classes that I wanted to take. You only got 4 years, better get as much out of college as you can.

 

[Pex]

I figure the more time i'm in college, the less time i'm making money.

 

[LethalWolfe]

I graduated "on-time" 4/4.5 years even though I transfered schools, took a semester off and spent another semester studying in London. I had fun in college but I pushed thru it. I wouldn't want to drag my heels. I wanted to keep my life moving forward and dive into my career (which I love). I guess if all you have to look forward to after college is a sh*tty office job wasting away in your gray cubical<sp?> at some giant corporation then I can see why you'd want to stay in college as long as possible.


Lethal

 

[shopbruin]

Originally posted by: Pex
I figure the more time i'm in college, the less time i'm making money.

who said you'd make money when you got out?

seriously enjoy your time in college. i met several psycho premeds who lived in the library and their idea of a good time was to step outside into the light and have a smoke. i was like. um... ok...

if you are taking 20 units just to keep up with your friends to prove how smart you are, step back and think if it really is being smart.

if you're takein 20 units because you want to finish early so it doesn't cost you as much, that's your choice too.

there's a big difference in being competitive, doing things at your own pace, and for financial reasons. i always figured the competitive ones will wind up burning out anyways.

i took four years and i was happy with my college experience and wish i did some more extra curriculars instead of working my PT job. oh wait i had a bf .. hmm bye bye time.