Each year, it seems like it gets just that much harder to graduate in 4 years. It feels like graduating in this time frame is more of an accomplishment rather than the norm. We all know how hard graduating on time can be with the long waitlists and pressures inside and outside of school. Personally, I was not on track as a sophomore, but with a little help I was able to turn this around and I am happy to say that I will be graduating on time this May! If you are someone experiencing a similar struggle, here's exactly what I did to turn my schedule around.

Make sure you know the classes you need to take.

First things first - make sure you know what classes you need to be taking for your major. If you're not exactly sure what your major requirement classes are, then you're going to end up wasting a lot of time and money. Know from the start what classes students in your major take each year and then create a 4-year plan for yourself to map out how you're going to graduate on time.

Take intersession classes.

If there is ANYTHING that you take away from reading this post, it should be this one. Take intersession classes and trust me, your future self will be so grateful that you did. It may sound intimidating to take a full course in 3-4 weeks, but do not let that stop you because you have nothing to worry about. Your teachers do realize how short the timespan is for the course and they will make it very possible to successfully complete. You may have to work a bit harder but you will also only have to worry about one class instead of a full course load.

Ask for help.

Don't be afraid to ask for help!!! The faculty and staff around you want you to graduate on time and be successful, don't be afraid to reach out to a professor or counselor to ask them questions on your specific plan or to look over your plan or even just ask for any suggestions! You'd be surprised by the amount of help you can receive if you just ask.

Visit your major counselors regularly.

Like the point above, make sure you visit your major-specific counselor/advisor every semester. I did this and it was extremely helpful. With their guidance, there is no way that you won't graduate in 4 years! They will tell you what you need to do and how to do it.

Make sure you're on top of your Academic Report on Moodle.

The "My ARR" on Moodle is a life saver, and if you don't know what that is yet then listen up! This report is an online system that visually shows what courses you need, what you have taken, and what is in progress. It will also show you what you need to do to graduate and if you're on track. Take advantage of this awesome resource in order to get a more visual representation of your requirements and how to graduate in 4 years!

Don't fail your classes.

It's as sweet and simple as that. Don't slack off in your classes and your chances of graduating on time and in 4 years go up a TON. Before you enroll in a course, make sure you read about that class and ask friends and people you know if they've ever taken that professor or the course to give you some insight of the amount of work you will have to be putting in.

Written by: Danielle Glanz

The Graduate in 4 Years Guide