Coming out of high school, a three-year graduation is like a beacon of hope for many students. College is expensive, and it means spending more years in school, but graduating early can make both realities easier to accept. One fewer year of school means one fewer year of tuition.

These simple facts have led more and more students to take this route over the years. University of California schools have seen three-year graduation rates go from 2% to 8% in the past 20 years, and Iowa public universities have gone from just 1% to 7% (with the University of Northern Iowa taking a massive leap from 1% to 14%).

These figures are no surprise, given the increasing number of college credits incoming students have. AP classes have been on the rise in recent years, with Michigan seeing a 70% increase in AP exam pass rates in just the past 5 years. 

I entered college with more than a year’s worth of credits because of the 10 AP classes I’d passed in high school. I entered my second semester with junior standing, meaning early graduation would not just be possible, but the simplest path.

But lost in the excitement of early graduation and the opportunity to get a proverbial “leg up” on the competition is the unfortunate reality that early graduation comes with a lot of downsides. 

James Madison College professor Brianne Wolf said she takes a measured approach when advising students considering early graduation.

“I really understand that students want to save costs, so I don't ever feel like it's my job to tell students they should spend even more on college than they already are, because college is very expensive and the costs continue to rise,” Wolf said.

One fewer year in school does not just mean one fewer year of tuition; it also means one fewer year of everything else.

You have less time for extracurricular activities that build your resume and professional connections, less time to pursue other interests and far less room for a second major. The pace can also take a toll.

"Most programs are designed for a four-year education, and so graduating in three years does mean that you're going to rush that experience and not receive it as it was designed," Wolf said. "Does that mean it's going to be a bad experience? No. But it might mean you will take classes out of sequence, or that you won't be able to think about the ideas in as deep a way as possible, since you're trying to take so many credits all at once.”

If you try to do it all, cramming your schedule with classes and commitments, your grades may start to suffer.

That could collapse your entire plan, especially if you plan on going on to graduate school. If you enter the workforce, other candidates may have an extra year of networking and professional experience. Wolf noted that early graduation may force students to foreclose on a lot of opportunities, like “studying abroad, writing a senior thesis, double majoring or adding additional minors.”

None of this considers the fact that you will be finishing college early.

Many consider their four undergraduate years to be the best period of their lives. You will be saying goodbye to friends and leaving them to finish their senior year without you.

So then, why am I graduating early? I made that decision in my freshman year because I knew what I wanted to do next and did not have major academic goals for a fourth year.

The college credits I transferred in meant that early graduation wouldn’t force me to speed up my undergraduate experience at all. I was still able to take my time, meet great people and get the grades I needed for my next step. 

I love the people I’ve met here, and a fourth year probably could have marginally improved my eventual resume and law school applications. But the dread I felt about a fourth year without clear academic goals outweighed those benefits.

I am a particular case. So is everyone else. There are a lot of people for whom early graduation makes sense, but if your advisors or professors are encouraging you to take that leap just because “you can,” I would encourage you to take a look. 

You only get a few years of this. Do not cut it short just to end up behind. 

Jack O'Brien is a senior studying Political Theory and Constitutional Democracy and the Opinion Desk Coordinator at The State News. The views in this article are his own and independent of The State News.