How many freshmen enter college and plan to graduate in four years? Unless they seek more than a bachelors degree, most figure they will graduate their senior year. Freshmen do not want to think they will be in school any longer than they have to be. What happens when it takes longer than four years?
    I am a freshman, and my expected graduation year is 2017: exactly four years from 2013. In high school, I never considered taking five years to complete my degree, but now with my newfound minor, I may.  
  Chris Denhart, a writer on the Forbes staff, recently wrote an article titled “The Rise and Fail of the Five-Year College Degree,” that states an interesting statistic that only 49 percent of students that enter one of our America’s Best Colleges will graduate on time.
  The article goes on to state, “More and more students are taking five years to complete what have historically been four-year programs.” For me, this takes some of the pressure off. It means that I do not have to stress about not being where fellow freshmen are in their pursuit of a degree. I would like to complete my English degree in four years, but I have chosen a minor in floral management. Obviously, these are two very different fields of choice. Each has its own requirements that may cause me to spill over into five years.
  I do not view this negatively. I do not mind putting in the time required to earn my degree, and if it takes me five years to do so, then I will not give up after all the work I have put in.
  Besides the addition of a minor or a major change, the article presents many other valid reasons it may take longer than a four-year stint. Students who pay for their own college degree may need to slow down their course load in order to maintain a job. Students that participate in co-ops or internships during the school year may find it difficult to fit in all the imperative time to keep up with classes. Also, the student may be closed out of a prerequisite class that will not be offered for another year.
  Denhart presents another side that students start to realize  they approach the real world and opt to stay in school as a way of postponement. They find more classes they “just have to take.” Many are not ready to make life decisions or pay back student loans. He writes it’s just easier to stay in school than face these problems.
  Some students choose a major, such as pre-veterinarian science, knowing it would take longer than most student’s expected four years, or even five. A student dedicated to getting his or her degree and becoming a certified veterinarian does not balk at the added years. Students should research their major and determine an average time-table, so they do not get shell-shocked their freshman year when they find out they will not graduate in four years.   
  I can only imagine how fifth-year students feel. I know they probably would have liked to graduate when a majority of their friends did. One thing they should not feel is embarrassment. They should take pride in the fact that they stuck it out and are but a breath away from their degree. They should feel accomplished, not saddened by the thought of how much time they put in toward their degree. That time consisted of hard work, long hours of studying and, hopefully, it had a little bit of fun mixed in.