Graduating College Early: My Journey & Advice for My Fellow Students
After an incredibly challenging senior year of high school, enduring the brunt of the Covid-19 pandemic, which took away my chance at a normal graduation, prom, and senior activities, beginning my collegiate journey did not feel real. The summer before my first year of college, I was accepted into the Rutgers Business Student Transition Program, a program that gave me a scholarship to take two courses over the summer and engage in career-developing workshops. Entering college with 6 credits under my belt helped propel me into collegiate life, especially online. However, I had no plans to graduate a year early at the time. It was not until my sophomore year that I decided to cut my undergraduate experience short. After an entire year of online college, I felt that the collegiate experience would not be what I had hoped; the typical social scene and life in academia that we see in movies is not realistic in a pandemic world. I considered my work ethic and decided that I could handle a busy schedule and many classes at a time. After my first semester, I began to take six classes at a time, pushing me to an 18-credit course load. Graduating early actually started to seem like an achievable goal. I took summer courses, and a winter course over break and will take an additional winter course this year. As I progress toward my goal, I am excited to get into a professional role in marketing sooner than anticipated. Graduating a year early allows me to start my full-time professional marketing career a year early, which is an absolute dream. It’s a lot of work, requires a lot of focus and determination, and sacrificing a completely free summer, and winter break is NEVER easy, but it’s doable.
Although I just completed my second year of college, I had to treat this year as my third, meaning this summer is internship season! In this job market, it was imperative for me to have an internship this summer in hopes of gaining professional experience prior to graduating next May. From my research, I knew that in this highly competitive climate, I needed to gain a high-level internship experience in Marketing before graduating next year to make myself a viable candidate for entry-level roles. I aim to accept a full-time offer and begin my professional marketing career post-graduation. My content marketing internship this summer at Skillsoft will set me up for success in achieving this goal!
For my fellow students who are interested in graduating early, you can do it! Here are some tips to help you get there:
1. You MUST have an e-calendar and a planner set up to keep you on track daily. An e-calendar is an online calendar to help organize life! The e-calendar can assist with reminders for class, meeting dates/times, and anything you may need to be reminded about. The platform I use for my e-calendar is Google Calendar which allows you to add dates and times for anything! I suggest an e-calendar because it can also be
synced to your phone with the Google Calendar app, so you can still view, edit, and add to your calendar when you are on the go. A planner assists with keeping track of all assignments and due dates, which I typically buy from Barnes & Noble. I recommend finding a planner that has a lot of space to write!
2. Work a week ahead of your class schedule. Completing all assignments a week in advance worked best for me to keep up with an 18-credit course load! I probably sound insane right now, but trust me, this step is key! As you approach Week 5 in the semester, all your assignments for Week 5 will already be turned in, and you can begin working on Week 6. Why do this? Because your mind will be at peace knowing that you are a step ahead and will not have to rush to complete work that may be due in just a few days.
3. Quizlet should be your best friend! My brain requires repetition to memorize information for the best outcome on exams and quizzes. If you can relate, check out Quizlet, it’s worth spending time creating flashcards when it pays off significantly in the end! Quizlet is my go-to study platform because it is user-friendly and easy to copy and paste typed notes into Quizlet to create flashcards.
4. Give back to yourself with free weekends! Completing work a week in advance is not easy but having a free weekend to look forward to helps build perseverance throughout the week. I typically create a master list of all assignments that need to be completed for the following week. I will then break all the tasks up Monday through Friday, trying my best to leave Saturday and Sunday for free time and rest. The weekends are when I get to hang out with my friends, catch up on my favorite shows, go to the movies, shop at the mall, and sleep in until the afternoon!
5. Wake up in the morning and maintain a healthy sleep cycle! Trust me, I know it’s easier said than done — I love sleeping in, too — but this will make your life a lot easier. Even if you don’t have class until the afternoon, starting your day in the morning will allow you to start assignments early while you have the energy to do so, instead of waiting until the evening and staying up late to complete work, leaving you exhausted
the next day.
6. Enlist the help of your academic advisor! Once you decide when you want to graduate, you can calculate the number of credits you’ll need to take each semester. Your academic advisor can assist you with setting up your schedule (blending more challenging courses with lighter courses for a less stressful semester), suggesting good professors, and keeping you on track to graduate at your target date. I typically meet with my academic advisor twice before it is time to register for classes for the upcoming semester and once during that semester to begin planning for the following semester. Keep in mind that some courses are only offered in specific terms, which is important to note so that you can check with your advisor to make sure that the class you need to take will be available!
If this is something you want for yourself, I am here to tell you that it is achievable. Don’t doubt yourself! You will have to make sacrifices throughout your collegiate experience, but for me, it was a sacrifice worth making.
