How long before you graduated?

[oobiecoo]

How long did it take you to get your undergraduate degree? I''m bumming about still being in school and was wondering what everyone else went through. I''ve heard that the average is 8 years in Texas... does anyone know for sure?

 

[pennquaker09]

I graduated high school in May of 2003. Because I graduated with an International Baccalaureate diploma (well, I found out after my actual high school graduation, but still I earned one) so I started college as a second semester sophomore. Technically, I graduated college in August of 2006, but I had actually finished my degree requirements in May of that year. Since I was intended to get a license to teach, I was planning on spending the 06 - 07 school year doing a year long internship, but I ended up moving with Nate to Philly for his fellowship. Basically, it took me 3 and half years to get my degree. If I wouldn''t have double majored I would have been finished in December of 2005. Then there was also that Hurricane Katrina ordeal.

 

[Independent Gal]

It took me 4 years. MA took 1, MA2 + PhD took 4.5

Man. That's a lotta school.

Finish as fast as you can Oobie. It's more cost effective, and will give you a sense of satisfaction.

 

[Delster]

Undergrad - 4 years
Masters - 1 year
Professional degree (masters) - 1 year
PhD - creeping up on 4 years, but almost finished (I hope!)

(Some of those overlapped, so it hasn't been ten consecutive years of uni, it's 'only' been nine!

)


I'm curious as to the reasons it usually takes 8 years to finish an undergrad in Texas? How come so many people choose to spread the study out over a longer period rather than doing it intensively but quickly?

Over here the degrees are very structured, and really the only reason you'd take longer than the 3 or 4 year schedule laid out by the university would be if you needed to take a year out for personal reasons, or if you needed to repeat a year.

 

[anchor31]

4 years. My program typically takes 3, though. Ditto with Indy, finish as fast as you can.

 

[Cleopatra]

It took me five years to graduated with my undergrad. (and that''s with taking summer courses each summer)

You''re definitely not alone Oobie! I know several friends in school for 7 or so years for undergrads.

 

[Independent Gal]

It usually takes that long (7ish years) to get a first degree in Germany too. The social science part of my brain screams "Lost Productivity! AAARGH!" but if you aren''t planning to work anyway, it''s not really a big deal.

Do you know what holds people up in Texas? Do they work and go to school part time?

 

[Po10472]

BA - 6 years (part-time study)
PGDIP - 2.5 years (part-time study)
Masters - 1 year (part-time study) - still to complete

phew - long time....and this was all done on top of my full-time job!

 

[peonygirl]

If you''re talking about undergrad, just about everyone at my uni graduated in 4 yrs. I think average might be 5 at large public schools, but I''ve never heard of 8.

 

[littlelysser]

4 years for undergrad.

law school in 3 years.

I''ve never heard of eight years...that seems a bit extreme, unless one was going part-time.

 

[Delster]

Date: 7/8/2008 8:35:48 AM
Author: Independent Gal
It usually takes that long (7ish years) to get a first degree in Germany too. The social science part of my brain screams ''Lost Productivity! AAARGH!'' but if you aren''t planning to work anyway, it''s not really a big deal.


Do you know what holds people up in Texas? Do they work and go to school part time?

Yes but the old standard five year ''first degree'' in Germany equates to an undergrad plus a masters in the Oxbridge model. So it''s not quite a direct comparison. But I know the feeling about the lost productivity - I did a university work placement in Germany and literally everyone else in my programme was eight if not ten years older than me. They thought it was appalling that Ireland would send a 19 year old out on a university work placement - after all, they''d just be finishing up high school round about that age - they thought it was child labour!

T

I''m curious too - is it the cost of education? I''m sure it''s easier to complete a four year undergrad within the prescribed framework in Ireland because our undergrad third level education is free!

 

[Independent Gal]

Actually, some people say that the reason people dally in Germany and keep switching programs etc. is BECAUSE it's free. So why not just hang around? I'm sure that if you're going to a US college that costs $30,000/yr, you don't mess around! Once it gets pretty expensive, people get a move on. But this raises the question of why it's not as bad as that in the UK and Ireland. Probably because they have lower tolerance levels? I think a lot of universities get snippy if you don't finish on time, or within a reasonable amount of time. Whereas in Germany they couldn't give a flying hoot what the students do.

Probably, the trouble area is the grey area - public colleges that cost a nice penny, but don't bankrupt you. It's probably easier to dally there.

 

[robbie3982]

I finished my BA in 3.5. No summers, but I also didn''t work in college and I wasn''t involved in extracurriculars until my last semester, so some semesters I took the max # of credits allowed. I was undecided until the very last semester about whether or not I wanted to double major. I ended up opting for the minor instead of the 2nd major, so if I''d decided on that earlier I may have been able to do it in 3. Probably not though due to some classes not being offered every semester.

 

[NewEnglandLady]

Like Robbie, I finished in 3.5 years and just took on extra classes. I went to a private college and was paying out of my own pocket, so not paying for that last semester saved me some money. I was also interning full-timeto pay the bills and wouldn''t go back to that kind of schedule if I had to! Graduating and just having a full-time job was a huge relief.

My sister went to school part-time and finished her undergrad in 8 years. Her MBA only took 2 years part-time.

 

[Delster]

Date: 7/8/2008 9:42:00 AM
Author: Independent Gal
Actually, some people say that the reason people dally in Germany and keep switching programs etc. is BECAUSE it's free. So why not just hang around? I'm sure that if you're going to a US college that costs $30,000/yr, you don't mess around! Once it gets pretty expensive, people get a move on. But this raises the question of why it's not as bad as that in the UK and Ireland. Probably because they have lower tolerance levels? I think a lot of universities get snippy if you don't finish on time, or within a reasonable amount of time. Whereas in Germany they couldn't give a flying hoot what the students do.


Probably, the trouble area is the grey area - public colleges that cost a nice penny, but don't bankrupt you. It's probably easier to dally there.

Yes, I think you're probably right. When I think about it most students in Ireland now work significant hours at part-time jobs - it's gone up a lot in recent years and there's been a bit of a media buzz about it. When I did my undergrad it was unusual to have a part-time job during semester. Anyway my point is that the increase in students working hasn't resulted in longer completion times for degrees because the reality is that you just can't delay your studies here. You either complete all the required elements when they're set down, or you take a year out. And if you take a year out, in many cases you pay fees the next year. Added to that, taking a higher or lower number of credits than the standard 60 ECTS per year isn't really an option. So most people complete in the prescribed three or four years.

So, for Ireland anyway, it seems that:

strictly prescribed degree programmes with no workload flexibility
+
nasty financial penalties if you slow down your studies
=
most people completing within three or four years!


Anyway oobiecoo I feel your pain!

 

[Fancy605]

Undergrad-4
Masters-1.5 (it was a 3 year program though, so I thought that was pretty good)

 

[Skippy123]

5 years - well I was working 30 hrs a week at an internship and changed my major a year into my degree.

 

[Brown.Eyed.Girl]

I did my BA in 3 years but sigh, I have 3 years of law school too! Although there was definitely a time when i considered doing a PhD instead...so compared to the 5 or 6 or 7 years THAT would have taken, I feel pretty lucky to have gotten off so light!

 

[Dreamer_D]

4 years for undergrad, working part time during the whole thing. Then 6 years for Masters + PhD, but I switched programmes after my second year, which added 1 year.

 

[princesss]

It took me 4 years, but it''s taking one of my best friends 5.

 

[oobiecoo]

Ok... most of you guys didn''t really help haha. I''ve mentioned it before, but I''m "stuck" in school right now. I transferrred schools and majors after 2 years but was still able to keep alot of basic credits. I''ve been in my new program for 2 years as well so I should have graduated this May. My program is very rigorous... one of the best in the country for this particular major. We have incredibly strict sequencing so even if you only have 2 classes left to take, you could very well be there for 2 semesters just for those 2 classes. And in order to stay "ahead of the game", they have changed our degree requirements. They dropped 2 of the required classes (which I already took!) and added an extra class. I already lost credits when I transferred to this school, why would they want me to lose any more?

As for Texans taking 8 years to graduate, it probably has to do with alot of things. The cost of tuition keeps going up, many students pay for school themselves so they have to work part time and go to school part time. Most majors (at my school at least) require an internship which takes time. Apparently schools think its cool to change your degree requirements halfway through so you have to stay longer

. Texas is just so HUGE and many students live in neighboring cities so the commute can become just too much to do everyday. I know of a couple of students who have dropped out to take care of sick parents. *sigh*

I''m trying as finish as fast as I can but the school seems more concerned with just the opposite.

 

[brazen_irish_hussy]

I did it in 4 as did everyone I know except for engeneering students as they are usually on a 5 year plan. I admit I have never heard of anything remotely approching 8 years

 

[Dreamer_D]

Others may not agree, but if you are taking a full load, or as many classes as you can take given your other life demands, then don''t worry about how long it takes to graduate! Enjoy the process! I noticed in graduate school that many people were in a big rush to finish and "get on with their lives" but the reality is that RIGHT NOW is your life too! Life is short, so enjoy every minute. And life is also long, so what''s another year or so in school?

 

[ladypirate]

4 years for me with a double major--also, I know when they changed degree requirements at my school, they only applied to those who were new to the major, not those already in it. Are you sure you have to adhere to the new reqs?

 

[kcoursolle]

My undergrad degree took 4, but I regret not spending more time during that period because it was such a wonderful part of my life. I was so driven to finish on time because I was also going to get a Ph.D. that I didn''t have time to really enjoy that time. If I could do it again I think I would have taken 4.5 or 5 years and relaxed a bit more.

 

[Elmorton]

4 years undergrad, 2 years MA

BUT - there are some factors. First, I always took summer classes and I graduated early from HS (spring + summer before undergrad, went to the community college). That way, I could afford to take 14 hour semesters as an undergrad all the way through and have a double major. My study abroad was during the summer. I even took the Spanish req for my MA between undergrad and grad, so didn''t have a summer off there. I absolutely adore summer classes. This summer, I''m teaching my first summer classes and love those more than the fall, too. I''m a fan of condensed learning.

 

[FrekeChild]

By the time I finish it will be just under ten years from when I graduated High school.

I have to run, but I''ll elaborate later.

 

[FrekeChild]

Ok. Here it goes:

2000-May-graduated HS

2000-August- December-went to local University and withdrew in December

2001 Jan- 2003 May- went to local community college for culinary degree (solidly with at least 12 hours each term-including summers, Graduated w/ Associates)

2003 Jan- 2003 December- worked part time and then full time

2004 Jan- 2004 September-went to Culinary Institute of America (withdrew)

2004 Dec- 2005 November worked full time

2006 January- 2007 May back to community college, but for liberal arts this time

2007 May- 2007 August worked all summer (no school)

2007 August- present transferred back to local university (in summer school as we speak)

Currently I am a senior, and will not be graduating until December 2009 with my B.A. This is with taking 15 hours each semester and 6 hours during the summer.

From the community college I have 106 credit hours, from CIA I have 30 credit hours, and from my current university I have 34 credit hours. That's 170 credit hours so far, if you don't want to do the math. With exactly 57 credit hours left to go before I get my BA, I will graduate with a grand total of 227 credit hours. As a friend (PhD student) likes to say, I have my PhD in Culinary Arts.

From the transferring of all of my credits and other BS I have learned this: poop happens.

However, the greatest thing that has resulted from all of my transferring of credit hours would be that my Food and Beverage class (literally a wine, beer, liqueur and hard alcohol class) was transferred as Nutrition 322- Management in Dietetics. That will make me giggle forever more.

Anyway, I feel for you Oobie. If you need any commiserating, I am totally here for you.

 

[BriBee]

I graduated from HS in June of 2001 and I'll finish my BS this December...so that's about 7.5 years. I took this long even with having AP credits from HS (which gave me a semester worth of college before I even got there). What has held me up is the fact that I've switched majors and schools at LEAST 7 times!!! I have a TON of units but only one degree (actually 2, I did get my Associates degree accidentally along the way. Didn't even know I had made it until they mailed it to me). I've also worked the entire time I've been in school and been working full time and 6 days a week for the last 3 years, so I took less units in some semesters to keep me sane.

 

[iheartscience]

I graduated high school in 1999 but I will just be graduating this December!

I didn''t go that long, but I did go for about 3.5 years, during which time my grades went down each semester as I lost my focus more and more. So I took a 4 year break, went back last fall and will finish this December. So 5.5 years total, I believe.

I could have actually graduated this summer but I really want to get my GPA above a 3.0 and after this summer it will be around a 2.9ish, so if I can get straight As this fall I can get a 3.0. I just want that 3.0, I don''t know why!

School''s not that tough for me, although it does get old, but overall I don''t mind it. I wish I would have finished my degree the first time around, but I''m very happy with my job and I might not have ever gotten it if I had gone to school straight through. So everything happens for a reason! Just keep that in mind and power through!