I’m a senior who’s 21 years old. I will be 22 in July. I today found out I have to retake two college classes. And it sucks because I see on social media where some of my classmates that I graduated with in high school graduated college this spring. They got their bachelors and are moving on. I feel left behind because now I have to wait until the fall. I just hate the thought of being the last person to do something. It’s the worst feeling. I have to wait 7 months. I have never been good in school! I have always struggled. But it seems so easy for others. I hate the feeling.
I started college at 16, and completed my first degree at 39. Don’t feel bad, the timeline works differently for different people.
One of the worst things we do as a culture is setting arbitrary milestones and then shaming ourselves or others for missing them.
Are you expecting to graduate? You’re better off than many who didn’t finish at all. You stumbled, you’re moving forward. You’re going to be fine.
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In 10 years you won’t even thing about this.
Just like I don’t remember which of my friends got their drivers license a few months ago before me.
It seems like a high deal now because you’re in the middle of it, but as someone’s few decades out, it’s not going to matter at all. Now that you’re an adult you’re going to meet people of all different ages and different places in their lives.
And most of it end up being because of things out of their control:
They have a physical illness or injury that slows down an aspect of their life.
They suddenly have to care for a parent, or sibling or child.
Jobs are suddenly available or not available, you might have to move cities, or across countries.
Everyone is doing things at their own pace. There is no reason to compare your journey against anyone else, because there are so many factors that got you where you are, and so many that will get your where you’re going, comparisons are worthless.
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Same, except I also changed my major twice more and bombed out of two semesters. Employers give zero fucks. I was just discussing earlier how none of them even verify my education and I work in a pretty technical field requiring specialized education.
I took 7 1/2 years. Everyone moves at different speeds. Comparison is the thief of joy.
In my late forties and I couldn’t tell you what year I graduated. I know I fucked up so bad freshman year I had to switch from an Ivy League to an okay school with zero credit to my name, and lost a whole year, I know I got to 90% done with three different minors I ended up hating and dropping. I know I’m successful and happy in my career.
It doesn’t matter a bit.
Also, you’re struggling BUT doing it. That’s way more impressive than cruising through college.No
Colleges in fact often conspire to try to delay your graduation to fleece you. Don’t take it as a personal failing
On the contrary, you just bought yourself seven months while the economy is deteriorating and job market is nosediving. Consider yourself lucky, and pray that the top brass can stop snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
It’s a great time to do a masters and Ph.D if you are interested. This has echoes of '08 and 20 when it comes to uncertainty and potential layoffs.
Don’t compare yourself with others - comparison is the thief of joy. And those people who have graduated are probably trying to get jobs right now. Have you seen the current job market? It’s fucking insane. I don’t know that it’ll be any better in 7 months but I wouldn’t want to be looking for a job right now. Enjoy your reprieve.
Short answer: no. You can even study two other degrees and be fine if age is your only concern.
I didn’t graduate until I was 28. I think you’ll be okay! I get how it feels like you’re falling behind though!
I don’t know a single person who graduated “on time”. This may differ from country to country, but here the nominal times are just waaaay unrealistic. I’m sure it’s possible, but at least for me I would’ve missed many opportunities, and I’m glad I took the time.
As a music performance major, graduating in four years with no summer classes required 16-18 credits per semester plus about 3-4 credits worth of zero credit courses. The joke was that college was either the worst four years or best five years of your life.
I ultimately switched to an even more difficult degree but graduated after 5.5 years. I had a blast.
No it’s not. You graduate when you graduate.
I got my first degree when I was 23, first school I got accepted was marketing and sales and I hated it there, took me 4 years before I got kicked out (I had to go to military between years 3-4, somehow administration didn’t register that and got a whole year of missing classes lol). After that I went to new school and graduated in 2 years and last year I got my second degree in my mid 30s. No one cares about your graduation (except parents probably), just take your time.
If you’re like me, when you were in high school, wasn’t it really important what grade someone was in? Like you’re a junior, you’re not going to hang out with some FRESHMAN, right?
But then, when you got to college, there was this sudden shift, and now it doesn’t really matter what year someone is in? I remember that feeling, like “oh, we’re all just college students, who cares if I started a year before someone else.”
If you can relate to that experience, feeling that shift of “oh, turns out that didn’t really matter” then I promise you have another one coming soon, when you get out of college and get a job and go “oh, who cares when someone graduated college, even if they started at the same time. We’re all just doing our thing now.”
