How to Stay on Path to Graduate in Four Years

College is a fun and exciting time in your life, but you have just turned 18 and don’t know
what’s to come. This is probably your first time away from your parents and the freedom that
you have always dreamed of. With this freedom comes the responsibility of being in charge of
your own education. Many questions might race through your head, but the most important one
is: How do I stay on task and make sure I graduate within four years?
As a senior at WCU, I have thought about the same question. But, by following the advice below
on the list, I am able graduate college within four years, and that’s after changing my major three
times! College can seem overwhelming, but if you have a game plan in place, keep your head up,
take lots of notes, and get a good night’s sleep, then you will not just survive, but thrive.

Visit your college career center

A college career center is a great resource to help you figure out what you want to do in during
and after college. Every college is different, so find out what your school has to offer by visiting
your career center so you can take advantage of the free resources they provide. If your school
doesn’t have a career center, there are plenty of online tests that can help you figure out what
type of major or job you wish to have. If you like math and computers then consider looking into
a major that incorporates the two. The earlier you figure out what you want to do, the better. If
you think you have found out what you want to do, then you can declare your major earlier and
not have to change your major, possibly losing credits in that transition. Changing your major a
few times is totally fine. I personally changed my major three times and will I still graduate in
four years.

Use office hours

Most students, including myself, don’t want to admit that they need help. But going to your
professor’s office hours might be just the thing you need. Most professors are more than willing
to help you, one on one, all you have to do is ask. Not only are you getting help, but you are also
creating a relationship with that professor that could be a benefit to you after graduation. Going
to your professors office hours allows you to get to know your professor outside of the
classroom. Once you have created that relationship you might even find that they will be willing
to write recommendations for you. Professors like to write recommendations for jobs and
graduate schools for students they know, outside of the regular classroom time. Using a
professors office hours as a means of tutoring is good also. Nobody knows the materials better
than the professor who is teaching it. During this time, the professor can slow down and answer
any questions you may have. These interactions could mean the difference between an A and a
B, all because you showed your professor that you were trying. If you want to finish in four, you
don’t have time to fail and repeat courses, so use your time and resources wisely.

Balance out Your Responsibilities

Students like to joke that between school and work they do not have a social life. Learning how
to balance the things you must do and the things you want to do takes time, but it is not
impossible. For example, if you want to spend the weekend with your friends then you need to
make sure you get ahead in your schoolwork, so that way you are not panicking while you
should be relaxing. Time management is a student’s best friend. Learn were you spend most of
your time and prioritize the things that are important to you.

Relax
College can take a lot out of you. Some weeks you will feel like you are drowning in all the
homework, readings, assignments, projects, and test and quizzes. Learning your body’s signs that
it is overworked will give you the ability to recuperate before you get to the point of feeling like
dropping out.
Being burned out will not do you any good, so if you feel like you are in a rut, take some time
away from school or work so that you can relax. This could be as simple as going to dinner at
your favorite restaurant, watching a new episode on Netflix, or taking a nap.

The best advice I ever received was to make sure that I got a goodnights sleep. If you don’t sleep
well, then you may not pay attention in class, or worse, skip the class all together so that you can
catch up on your sleep.

Have a Space of Your Own

Freshman year, I was in a small dorm room with a horrible roommate who did not consider study
time to be important. I also found that I could not study in my room because all I wanted to do
was crawl into bed and take a nap. I found that I did well when I placed myself in a computer lab
in my school’s library. I placed myself where I could spread out and get organized.

Making sure you have a space of your own is important because you need to be able to do your
best work and keep up on homework and assignments. Whether that place is your bed, desk, or
the library, just make sure you are comfortable and can get work done without a lot of
distractions.

Take Summer Classes

Most colleges allow students to take summer classes at community colleges and then transfer
those classes in. I recommend taking Liberal Studies courses that you know you might not be too
interested in. For example, Health and Wellness, Art, English, and History. Getting ahead during
the summer, could be what saves you from going past four years, especially if you change your
major.

Staying on the path to graduation can be hard. But even if you change your major ten times, you
will graduate. If you wish to graduate in four years, follow the steps provided by your university
and this list. All of these items have been used by me personally to help me achieve my goal of
graduating in four years. Good luck with your college career!