Is It Possible To Finish College In 2 Years

Transferring: Youll Lose Usually

How can this be: Most students need more than four years to graduate yet end up taking, and paying for, many more credits than they need. Colleges and universities usually require 120 credits for a bachelors degree but students graduate with about 135, on average, according to data compiled by Complete College America, a nonprofit research and advocacy group.

Some states figures are even higher. Students at regional state colleges in New Mexico graduate with an average of 155 credits.

One reason is the difficulty of transferring credits from another university or a community college. A third of students transfer at one point in their college careers. Nearly 40 percent of them get no credit for any of the courses they have completed and lose 27 credits on average or about a year of school, according to a 2014 federal study.

Many colleges have developed articulation agreements to honor credits earned from other institutions. But often that isnt enough. A university may accept the credits, but the department of the students major may not and at most colleges, the decision rests with the department.

Unfortunately, the only way to know for sure whether credits will transfer to a new college is to ask. Most administrators will want to review a syllabus from your former school for comparison. And make sure to ask about credits within a major.

How I Graduated From College In 25 Years With 2 Degrees And Saved $37500

Last Updated: BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner –

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One thing that has been on my mind this month is how I graduated with my Finance MBA two years ago.

It feels like a lifetime ago, but then again it also feels like it was just yesterday.

This has also reminded me about how I graduated with my undergraduate degrees over 4 years ago. For some reason, people dont believe thats true, and I was even recently asked to provide proof from a reader

I know, I have a baby face! The fact that I look a decade younger than I actually am is a whole nother story though.

If youre wondering the below, please continue reading!

• How to graduate college in 3 years
• How to finish college in 2 years
• How to get a bachelors degree in 2 years
• Can you finish college in 2 years
• How to graduate college in 2 years

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The main reason why I got so heavily into school was because I wanted to keep busy. I was a freshman in college when my father passed away.

I took four days off from my full-time job after he passed but I quickly went back to keep my mind off of everything that was going on around me. I then worked and went to school a crazy amount of hours to keep my mind off of it. This continued for years and it was my way of dealing with it all.

Getting Ready: Is A Bachelor’s Degree Always 4 Years

As you think about the time required to earn your bachelors degree, remember:

• Its personal. What are your goals, and what are your options?
• Whats your starting point? Are you completely new or have credits to possibly transfer?
• Put a plan together. This goal is about you and whats going to work for you.

Combine your goals, options and starting point to put together a plan. Understanding these three variables can help you create a plan that takes a potential four-year degree path down to two years or allows you to create a plan over six or more years.

As you define your goals, consider this as a simple equation: You need 120 credits to earn your degree. If the average course is three credits, then taking 30 credits a year breaks out into a four-year period of time. If you can up the course load to almost 40 credits a year, it breaks down into three years and so on. The more credits each year, the less time it takes to finish your degree and the opposite as well. Your course load determines the length. With transfer credits, youll be able to lessen that time for completion.

Dont forget to turn to school admission and advising teams for help, and let your family and friends be an important part of your support team so you can keep moving forward and earn your bachelors degree.

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Avoid Taking Unnecessary Courses

If you are in a hurry to earn your four-year degree, make sure that you dont take courses that are unnecessary for your chosen program.

So, in other words, you should choose your courses wisely.

You can go about this in a number of ways:

• Consult with an academic advisor. One of the roles of an academic advisor is assisting students with academic planning. Generally, it is recommended to get in touch with an academic advisor once a semester. The sooner you meet with one, the quicker you can ensure that you are only taking courses vital for your degree.

• Research your major very well. Usually, students have until the end of their sophomore year of college to declare a major. If the goal is to get out of college in two years, choose a major early on and research on the courses necessary for its completion. And also, make sure that you stick to your chosen major.

• Stay away from electives. Whats so nice about electives is that they hone practical skills and help students discover their hidden passions and talents. Unfortunately, they take both time and money, which is why they can keep you from graduating from college ahead of everybody else and staying below budget, too.

How Do I Know If Online Learning Is Right For Me

A Roberts online education is the answer for so many adults and professionals who struggle to make room for big dreams in their busy schedules. To determine whether an online education is right for you, we’ve identified key strengths, traits, and circumstances below that can help gauge your readiness to learn in an online environment. You are likely a good candidate for online learning if:

• You are self-motivated and goal-driven.
• You have good time-management skills.
• You are self-disciplined and can meet deadlines on your own.
• You prefer to have more time to reflect before answering a question.
• Your schedule prevents you from attending a regular in-person class session.
• Transportation is an issue for you.
• You have a current computer and reliable internet connection.

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Finish Your Degree On The Fast Track

With college, as with many things in life, it pays to be a go-getter. If youre already asking yourselfhow to finish college faster, its clear youve got your goal in sight and the motivation to achieve it.

Utilize these tips to get the most bang for your tuition bucks and acquire the practical knowledge and training you need to advance your career. The sooner you have your degree in hand, the sooner you can start reaping the rewards of life after college.

If youre ready to capitalize on your existing knowledge and experience, request more information to get into contact with an admissions advisor.

1U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, 2017. Salary data represents national, averaged earnings for the occupations listed and includes workers at all levels of education and experience. This data does not represent starting salaries and employment conditions in your area may vary.2Exceptions applyreview the course catalog for details.EDITORS NOTE: This article was originally published in 2016. It has since been updated to include information relevant to 2018.

No Social Life: Join Something

Some students slowly disengage because they never really feel part of a college community. Social isolation and depression can affect academic progress, especially for students living away from home for the first time. Studies have found that students who dont become involved in campus life, whether through friendship networks, clubs or sports, are more likely to drop out.

Sometimes students worry that committing to activities outside of classes gets in the way of doing well academically, but often its the opposite.

Calista Damm, a freshman at the University of South Florida, joined the ad club, the film club and one called Swipe Out Hunger as she struggled with her coursework, particularly algebra. Its been really important to me, she said. It keeps me kind of sane when I go to my clubs. Im not just thinking about homework 100 percent of the time. She added: It can be hard to meet people freshman year so it helps with that, too.

Living-learning communities, which house students who have similar personal or academic interests, have long been a strategy to help students develop social networks and more easily find academic and emotional support. Universities report more engaged students and improved academic performance, especially for underprepared students.

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Test Out Of Class Topics You Already Know

Transferring college credit can be a headache. Every institution maintains its own course requirements, its own categorization method for academic fields, and its own rulebook for accepting outside credit. Nevertheless, a growing number of colleges are awarding credit for what they don’t have to teach.

Students can test out of intro-level college courses by taking a CLEP exam.

Through the College-Level Examination Program , students can test out of 34 intro-level college courses. Administered by the College Board the same organization behind the SAT CLEP exams count toward English, math, science, and other general education requirements at nearly 3,000 colleges. By passing one test, you can receive up to three college credits.

Most colleges also require incoming students to take a foreign-language placement test to gauge their fluency in a language other than English. If you studied a foreign language throughout high school , you may already meet your college’s foreign-language requirement and therefore not need to take any further language classes.

An Investment You Can Afford

We know that a Roberts education is an investment worth making. But we also understand the financial concerns our adult students face when returning to school. That’s why we’re committed to keeping our costs competitive across the board. And with a wide range of options to make your education an affordable investmentincluding Federal and NYS aid, military benefits, employer tuition assistance, our Corporate Partnerships Program, and program scholarshipswe work hard to help you maximize your financial aid. Every year, Roberts awards financial assistance to more than 75% of adult students. Because we don’t want anything to keep you from the life you deserve.

Military and military spouse-friendly

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Will Fast Track Courses Help Me Earn A Degree Quickly

If you are wondering can you get a bachelor degree in 2 years, you will definitely want to check out schools that offer fast-track courses. A fast-track course will give you the opportunity to work through the course material at an accelerated pace so that you can complete college credit quickly.

This option is best suited for students who are highly motivated and have a great tolerance for self-guidance. If you need a professor walking you through each step of the way, accelerated degree programs will not be a good option for your bachelor degrees.

It is important that you can organize your educational tasks efficiently and meet deadlines precisely in order to make this option work best for you.

Reasons You May Not Graduate On Time

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Graduating from a four-year college in four years may sound like a fairly straightforward venture, but only 41 percent of students manage to do it.

That matters. The longer it takes, the less likely a student is to make it to graduation: A quarter of students drop out after four years, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, and most say its because of money. Cost, indeed, is a major issue for many families in-state tuition and fees run $8,940 on average at public institutions, $28,308 at private ones. Many of those who finish in five or six years have either unnecessarily drained their parents bank accounts or end up in a lot more debt.

We asked educators to identify the biggest obstacles to a timely graduation. They talked about students who aim for a four-year finish but fail to take the right courses in the right order. Other students conclude that graduating in four years isnt so important, and cut back on classes to make more time for play.

Here are the six roadblocks most cited, and ways to tackle the problem.

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Resources For Students Returning To College

Learners returning to college can search the internet for the best programs, financial aid opportunities, and career advice. Organizations and agencies such as those below help degree-seekers meet their education goals. Prospective students can use the embedded links to learn how each service assists students.

Why Students Leave College

Some students find dropping out of school unavoidable due to one or more of the following reasons. Learners facing these circumstances should first research their school’s retention programs. An academic or financial aid advisor may offer solutions that allow degree-seekers to graduate on time.

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Max Course Credits Per School Year

Getting more credits each semester allows for a shorter time to graduate. Taking advantage of the summer school term would be one way to do this.

However, this year-round schedule may only be ideal for full-time students. As Omelicheva notes in a study that appeared in the Journal of Political Science Education, Since summer sessions are much shorter than regular semesters, both instructors and students are required to teach and learn more in a short period of time and, therefore, need to cope with the intensity of summer modules.

This same study, titled Fab! or Drab?: Increasing the Effectiveness of Teaching and Learning in Summer Classes, also stressed that for many students, summers are the time for earning income to pay for the school and living expenses during the academic year. In essence, employed students may tend to be particularly inattentive and unenthused in summer school.

In the same vein as taking summer classes, taking night classes will help students complete as many units as quickly as possible but may also be difficult for working students.

Most colleges limit students to 15, 18, or 20 credits per term, depending on whether the school uses a quarter or semester system. Still, some colleges may make exceptions, allowing some students to overload credits. However, do keep in mind that some colleges charge extra for extra credits.

What Course Is Only 2 Years

Whether you visit a gym, classroom or a local government agency, you are likely to encounter employees with two-year college degrees. These degrees, formally titled “associate degrees,” are offered by two-year community colleges across the United States. The degree is the first of several degrees of higher education.

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Bachelor Degree Completion Programs

Bachelor degree completion programs do exist. These are what most colleges are referring to when they say they have a 2-year bachelor degree program. They arent doing you any favors. They are just accepting your college credits. Any accredited university will do that for you.

Bachelors degree completion programs are meant to help you finish a degree that you already started. You already have the credit or an associate degree. Now you need a bachelors degree.

They would work for you if:

• You already have existing credit, usually at least 60 hours
• You have completed 2 years or an equivalent of study

A college that offers an online bachelors degree completion program allows you to finish a degree by transferring your existing credit to the degree you want. They also offer online and accelerated classes.

How you do this is pretty basic:

• Apply to the college
• Wait to be accepted
• Once accepted, meet with your program advisor to outline your roadmap to graduation

Even in a bachelors degree completion program, you can still use credit by exam and credit for prior learning. Talk to your advisor and make a plan!

Returning College Student With Less Than 59 Credits Hours Completed

Youve already been around the board, but you still need to finish your degree. This time you are going to knock it out of the park.

Life has a funny way of providing motivation as you get older.

If you already have 30 credits tucked away, you can be done in 1 year and 32 weeks just by taking online accelerated classes.

Thats a decent pace. But I bet you want to go faster.

What do you say to just over a year to being done with your bachelors degree? You can do that!

You can knock 30 credits off by testing out of classes and submitting credit for a prior learning portfolio.

You probably already have credit for some of the introductory courses, but what about:

If there is any class that you havent already taken that is available through the College Level Examination Program , go ahead and test out of the class. That is your fastest option to getting credit.

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