Lots of students dream of finishing college early and starting their careers sooner.
Graduating early is a way to save time and money, but it takes a fair share of planning and effort.
In this article, we’ll share a few tips and recommendations from former students to help you understand how to graduate college early and what you can expect from such a scenario.
From picking a major that’s right for you and taking advantage of summer and winter classes to earning college credits while you’re still in high school—there are several things you need to consider if your goal is to graduate early.
How to Graduate College Early? Plan Ahead Thoroughly
Planning is absolutely essential if you want to graduate from college ahead of schedule. A well-structured plan makes such an ambitious goal realistic.
You can start by researching the requirements and options for your degree program. Go to your college website and check their information about early graduation.
Meet with educational advisors and connect with people with similar goals.
In the next step, learn about your course prerequisites and sequencing to plan accordingly.
Remember that you must always be specific and honest about your goals and deadlines to keep yourself on track. Planning has innumerable advantages, as it improves your time management, reduces stress, and increases your chances for academic success. And when you want to graduate college early, good planning is the key to pretty much everything.
Here’s what one of the Redditors say about proper planning:
“You’d have to plan carefully in order to spread 4 years worth of classes into 3 years, it basically comes down to math. Calculate the total amount of credits/courses you need and plan accordingly how many summers you need to put in. Do consider that it’s not always possible to achieve this kind of thing, depending on how long it takes you to get through the material. You’ll likely also have to take more than one hard class at a time because you won’t have that extra year to spread them out. I’d definitely recommend seeing an academic advisor to help you draw out a plan. I don’t see you being able to have much fun on the side, though, seeing as you’ll have less time to do more work, you will likely have very little spare time.” —fangs-
Select a Major that Allows You to Graduate Early
“How to graduate early from college?” The choice of major can significantly affect the timeline, as different fields often have varying requirements and flexibility. Read “What is a Major, Minor, or Concentration in College?“
Some majors, such as interdisciplinary programs or certain online degrees, are known to have fewer requirements or greater flexibility, which can speed up your path to graduation.
Alternatively, some majors may have stricter or more extensive course loads, and there are majors where you simply cannot graduate early due to the specifics of the disciplines you’ll be taking.
So, weighing teaching major’s pros and cons regarding graduation time, potential career opportunities, personal interest, and overall satisfaction is essential.
Always remember that choosing the right major is the best way to get a fulfilling college experience. Here’s what one of the Quora members says about choosing the right major:
“I’ve found that it’s easier to graduate early in the humanities because the workload does not include labs, which require you to attend double the class sessions. The sciences often have double the out-of-class work and projects, rather than papers and tests, making doubling up classes and summer work very difficult.” —Tamara Chacon
And here’s one Redditor’s answer to someone who’s a nursing major and wants to graduate college in three years:
“Speaking as someone who is a nursing major, it might not be entirely possible for you. Usually, nursing majors have a preferred “four-year plan” for you already set up, which details your courses throughout 8 semesters. The only reason I’m saying it might not be possible is because of your clinical hours that are required as well. I technically could have graduated in 3 years because I had 3 semesters that were only 9 credit hours. Still, if I would have condensed to make them 12-15 hours, I would have had nearly 120 clinical hours to complete in one semester, which is probably doable, but not easily. I recommend talking to your academic counselor and seeing if they have something in place like that. If you need any more information, you can message me and I can send you a photo of what my four year plan ended up looking like based on what my academic counselor put together.” —Thisisallie
Take Summer and Winter Courses
Taking classes during breaks can also help you graduate from college early. You can do it at the same school or a community college; just make sure the credits will transfer.
However, there are some potential downsides to consider, such as a heavier workload and increased stress. To manage everything, carefully plan your classes (make sure you know all about college classes that you should know), and don’t forget about self-care. By doing so, you can balance your studies, personal life, health, and well-being during summer and winter breaks.
Here are some Quora answers on summer courses and how to graduate college in 3 years:
“You will also have to do classes during the summer and possibly during your winter breaks.” —Nicole
“It depends on the school, the program, and your major(s). Generally speaking, if you take summer and online courses, you should be able to graduate in three years.” —Carol Baldridge
Take College Classes as a High School Student
“How to graduate from college early?” By earning college credits in high school!
There are several options to pursue them, like through Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB),dual enrollment (DE), or the College Level Examination Program (CLEP).
However, be ready to face higher academic expectations and increased pressure and invest much time and effort in preparation. Here are some Reddit and Quora answers on taking college classes during high school:
“Do some research on your college website and find out which classes you can skip by scoring well on AP exams in highschool. Take as many AP exams that will transfer (and do well on them of course).” —Lewan72
“Summer classes, I’m graduating a semester early with a double major because of the sheer amount of AP classes i took in highschool. I’ve still gotta take summer classes to get out early.” —ncopp
“I came in with AP credits. I had credit for a couple of semesters of physics, calculus, and English. This not only decreased the number of credits, it enabled me to go right into intermediate courses.” —Rob Menes
Take the Maximum Number of Credits per Semester
Taking more credits per semester is another working strategy for graduating early, but you must be aware of the challenges.
First, check your school’s policies on the maximum number of credits allowed per semester.
Then, talk to your academic advisors or professors to understand whether it’s feasible.
Keep in mind that it’s also highly stressful, so do your best to make the most of a heavier course load, prioritize your tasks, stay organized, study efficiently, and use all available resources.
Surely, with some planning, you can make even the heaviest course load productive and manageable. After all, many students did it before you. Here are some Reddit and Quora stories:
“I graduated in 7 semesters by taking the Spanish placement test, then taking the credit equivalency test. I got 16 credits in the space of a couple hours. I also took a required stats class over the summer and was able to get 6 freshman English credits with my ACT score. My roommate my freshman year started college with an entire year’s worth of credits from dual enrollment classes he took in high school. He graduated a year early.” —notyogrannysgrandkid
“I took many courses each semester. Usually 6 or 7. I ended up with about 140 credits; most courses were 3 or 4 credits per semester. Within that total, I was able to take graduate courses in my field. Although I was a physics major, I didn’t have to take many lab courses (they require significantly more time).” —Rob Menes
Plan Your Daily Schedule
To plan your schedule effectively, use a planner or a calendar to visualize your time and set daily or weekly goals. It’s essential to find time for everything, from studies and classes to work and free time.
Taking breaks is just as important as working hard, as it helps you stay productive and focused, and you’ll feel less stressed, confused, or prone to procrastination. Make sure you always stay on track, adjust your schedule as necessary, and keep an eye on your progress and performance.
Don’t hesitate to make changes or improvements when needed. Let yourself rest when you feel tired or overwhelmed. Always reward yourself for meeting your goals. In the end, you will see that effective scheduling is the only way to early graduation. Here are some Reddit and Quora users advising on planning:
“If you’re graduating early, you’ll want to have a 3 or 4-year plan of what classes you need to take ready as early as you can meet with an adviser to plan it. Then, you’ll have to make sure you get these classes. You may also have to take classes you don’t like, take them at inconvenient times, work (if you work while going to school) nights, etc. to juggle all the things you need to do and get the right classes. For example, I had to be flexible and take several electives I wasn’t really passionate about because they were the only ones offered at times that allowed me to take extra classes each semester.” —Tamara Chacon
“Lay out your plan of study so you are sure you have the prerequisites ahead of the real class, and that the classes you need will be offered when you need them. Treat it like a job. Plan your days – classes, study, exercise, meals, hygiene, sleep. Keep a calendar showing when assignments are due. For big projects, break it down & plan each step.” —PlatypusDream
Arrange Your Finances Wisely
Finally, if you plan to graduate from college early, it’s important to think about the financial aspect in advance.
To get started, figure out how much you’ll need for tuition, textbooks, housing, and everyday expenses, then look at how much money you have coming in (e.g., a part-time job, an internship, scholarships, or financial aid). Keeping track of your money and sticking to your budget is essential.
Once you understand your income and expenses well, start thinking about ways to save money as a college student. Maybe you can buy used textbooks instead of new ones or share an apartment with a roommate to cut down on living costs (or use an opportunity to get free housing for college students).
You could also try earning some extra cash in college through freelancing or tutoring.
By planning your finances carefully, you can build up your savings and avoid financial problems. Plus, you’ll be investing in your future. Yet, early graduation comes with strings attached.
Some Redditors urge you to think really well about graduating early in terms of finances:
“While graduating early can save you a ton of money (saved me a whole year’s tuition!) it also means you’ll be paying for summer classes, extra classes during the normal semester, and extra books/supplies. Are you able to pay for these expenses or does spacing them out over multiple semesters make more sense for you?” —Tamara Chacon
“So, the best laid plan where you take an overload in the first semester ultimately causes you to need an extra year because of sequencing of courses, and now you’ve spent money on courses you shouldn’t have had to retake, plus your GPA is lower, which doesn’t matter a ton down the road, but there is a lot of data that shows that it matters for your first job offer compensation. In other words, if you take longer (even by a semester), and do better in that time, it can lead to higher overall earnings throughout your life.” — trustmeiknowthings
Final Thoughts
Graduating from college a bit earlier than most people do is a rewarding but challenging plan.
Today, we’ve explored some working strategies you can employ if early graduation is indeed your goal: careful planning, choosing a suitable major, taking summer and winter classes, earning college credits in high school, taking the maximum number of credits, planning your schedule very fastidiously, and arranging your finances wisely.
These strategies can help you save time and money and achieve your academic and personal goals sooner.
We hope that reading the recommendations from people who have already gone through a similar experience can help you decide whether or not to pursue early college graduation. We also hope that these pieces of advice will be useful on your journey.
Now, feel free to check out the article on what to do after you graduate college.
