One hundred and twenty—that’s how many credit hours you need in order to graduate. Universities don’t set a time frame in which they have to be completed. You just need the correct 120 hours completed in order to get a bachelor’s degree.

I’m a very organized person, and I like to stick to outlines and rubrics. I’ve made an outline of my college career and that involves me graduating in four years. I have to be realistic and open to the possibility of things not going according to plan. But why wouldn’t they? I’ve mapped out alternative school plans in case the original one doesn’t work, and they all have me graduating in four years, eight semesters, not one more.

From the beginning of my collegiate career, I’ve always taken more than what is considered full time every semester so that I can complete all of my degree credit requirements in under four years. As much as I love school, I don’t want to prolong my time here.

I refuse to let college be the place I peak. Staying longer than four years will make it feel like that.

I’m only half way there and I’m already itching to be out in the field reporting full time for a living. Getting a degree just isn’t enough, you need to have a whole background of experience in order to even be considered for a job. Being able to get through school quicker leaves room for trying to accumulate that experience in case I couldn’t do so while in school.

I don’t want to spend five years at school and possibly still have to wait another year until I’m hired. It seems as though I’ll never get there. Run, don’t walk—that’s my mentality when it comes to graduating. I want to be able to get my degree as soon as possible so I can start pursuing my career at a more serious level.

Being in school for only four years is also cheaper. Sure, I’m paying for the same amount of courses, but if I’m in school longer, I will spend more money on supplies, food, gas, etc.

Graduating in under four years is not unrealistic, just a bit more difficult. I have my plan and I don’t plan to derail from it. Anyone who doesn’t believe me can ask me about my graduate status in two years.