Getting on the Fast Track to Graduation

Posted: March 15, 2022 | Author: Abbie Cochrane | Read Time: 4 minutes

To any senior in high school, four years of college sounds like a long time, especially if you plan to go to medical, law, or grad school. The first year of college can feel slow when you’re working on your generals. However, there are ways to speed up the process! If you are an individual who is looking for the fast track to graduating with your college degree, you are at the perfect place in your education to start–right now!

6 Ways to Graduate College Sooner

Taking Advanced Placement (AP) classes in high school can help you earn college credit for your general requirements. What is Advanced Placement? Advanced Placement classes are full-year, college-level courses that require a higher level of thinking and a little bit of extra work. They distribute credit based on whether or not you pass the final test at the end of the school year. The test is often multiple choice with the possibility of a writing segment depending on which class you take. Students are scored on a scale of 1 to 5, 3-5 means a passing grade. If the score is below a 3, chances are college credit won’t be awarded.

Concurrent Enrollment, or Dual Enrollment, is a slightly different story; like an AP course, its material and work ethic are slightly more taxing than that of an Honors or Core class. However, the course itself is pass-fail, meaning if you get above a certain letter grade, you get the credit. Taking a course like either of these is by no means a walk in the park, but earning the credit can save you time in a college classroom and lots of money. Just make sure that wherever you go to college accepts your AP or Concurrent credits so you aren’t stuck taking the same class again, college edition.

Testing out of classes can save you lots of time and money. If you feel like you’re predicting every word that is coming out of your teacher’s mouth and the class feels like a breeze, you might be eligible to test out of that class and earn the credit without having to learn something you already know. Talk to your high school or college counselor if you think testing out can be something you may benefit from.

Utilizing online classes has become the norm for students all over the world. If you didn’t know how to learn online a year ago, you do now. There are many places you can go to earn college credit online–some universities are solely digital! Now that everyone knows what they’re doing when it comes to online classes, getting on the fast track to high school or college graduation has never been easier.

Summer classes are another way you can speed up your higher education. Most colleges offer a summer semester or are year-round institutions. Instead of taking the summer off, you can take an online course or two through your high school to help fulfill requirements for high school graduation or for getting a head start on your college education. At the end of the course, you will most likely take a test at a testing center or online, so make sure you know where your nearest testing center is. Talk to your counselor about getting signed up for summer courses.

Fast tracks to graduation are programs offered by some universities that can help you graduate in three years. These education plans can help you plow through your generals and into upper-division courses, which significantly reduce the time and money spent in college. Southern Utah University is one of the universities that offers a three-year degree program. Taking a fast track to graduation helps get you out into the real world a year ahead, so you can start your career, move on to higher education, travel, or follow through with any plans you have. To learn more about SUU’s three-year bachelor's degree, visit the website.

For more information about how you can get ahead in your college education, talk to your high school or college counselor to create a plan that works for you. If you are thinking about pursuing a three-year degree, reach out to your colleges of interest. To take an AP or Concurrent Enrollment course, or to sign up for a summer class, talk to your high school or college counselor. If you’re looking to take a placement test, visit the SUU Testing Center to learn more.