The Three Year Plan…
Posted on March 3, 2009 by Barbara Macaulay
Most often when we hear about degree completion rates of full-time undergraduate students, we read stats that reference 4 years, 5 years, and 6 years, referring to the notion that there are numbers of students who do not finish within the prescribed 4 year period.
But just recently, there was an article in Inside Higher Education that talked about a “new” concept, the 3 year plan or completing college in 3 years. In this article, you will see the pros and cons, as well as some of the challenges in developing and implementing a 3 year plan.
I find thinking about this concept interesting, as online courses certainly could be an important strategy for implementing 3 year plans for students to complete their degrees early. Such students could still have traditional periods off (winter and summer sessions) but work and go to school part-time, while taking classes online. Part-time students already put this process in action every semester and we suspect there are many full-time students already doing this on their own.
I should add that this notion of 3 years strikes a personal chord with me—way back when, several of my college classmates and I actually finished our degrees in 3 years. It was somewhat by accident and certainly we did not know this was against the norm. I just remember getting to the end of my sophomore year and realizing I was already halfway through my junior year…apparently it was just what was right for us at the time.
What do you think about the idea of the 3-year Bachelor’s degree?
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This is quite an interesting concept - however rushing people out of school may not be the best avenue. I knew a number of people in my undergraduate days that took full courseloads in the fall and spring, treated the summer as another semester - thus a full courseload, plus one or two courses in January (3 week long semester).
These individuals also were not highly selective in the courses they took. They just looked at the equation mathematically - Did I fulfill the pre-reqs - YES. Does this course count toward graduation? YES. Action: Take course.
Taking random courses (especially in the core curriculum that’s meant to give you a rounded education) undermines one of the reasons to go to college: Experimentation with topics that you don’t have familiarity with, and further exploring topics you are interested in. If it’s just about the credits - then of course you can graduate in 3 years, but how much are you getting out of your college experience?
Personally, I was on the 5 year track. I had 2 minors, and took more classes than I needed because I was interested in the topics. Nothing wrong with that
Nothing wrong with that indeed! Clearly what you present is the other side of the coin, so to speak, that of making the most of the unique learning time that going to college full-time can mean. There will always be this tension, I believe, between getting through college and savoring the experience. What counts is having the options, I suspect, for doing what works best for one’s needs and interests. Thanks for commenting…
3 year college degrees is exactly what we need in this economy. Most schools charge based on the semester and not per the courses taken. For example it is the same amount to register for 5 courses as it is for the 4. Getting a degree in 3 years instead of four could potentially mean savings of over $25,000, which would result in lesser tution loans for graduating students. In harsh economic times like these it makes perfect sense to do the math before “savoring” the experience..