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Blog Entry: #97

How to Take the Right Amount of College Credits Per Semester:
Don't Become Credit Crazy and Miss Out On College!
by Joe DePalma

Freshman Student: I'm taking 21 credits this semester.

Senior Student: What for?

Freshman Student: So I can graduate. Duh!

Senior Student: Then what are you going to do?

Freshman Student: Get a good job, see the world, have a family, and become Stupid Filthy RICH!

Senior Student: Then what?

Freshman Student: I'll retire early and kick back.

Senior Student: Then what?

Freshman Student: I guess that's it.

Senior Student: That's my plan as well, except for the stupid and filthy part.

Freshman Student: How many credits are you taking?

Senior Student: I'm taking 13 credits.

Freshman Student: Why don't you take more?

Senior Student: I'm in no hurry to retire and I like having a life outside of going to class, rushing to work or to my extracurricular school activities, and then cramming in time for all of my homework.

Freshman Student: Ummmm, yeah I really won't have time for anything fun, and I'm in no real hurry to get old and retire either.

Senior Student: In that case, why are you taking 21 credits?

Freshman Student: I don't know.

Top 3 Reasons Why College Students Get Credit Crazy:

“Credit Crazy” is when a student becomes blindly ambitious for any of the following reasons and registers for around 21 credits semester after semester.

1. They insist that they are too far behind and they must catch up to no one in particular.
2. They are brainwashed into thinking that graduating in five years is in some way wrong and that it diminishes the value of their degree.
3. They view graduation as the beginning of their life rather than viewing their entire college experience from the first day to the last as a beginning.

3 Things To Remember When Registering For Classes:

•  Your professors are going to treat you the same way whether you are taking 21 credits a semester or just three.

•  The more classes you take, the less time you will have to dedicate to each one.

•  Taking class after class after class for four years will probably get you a degree, but don't you think that maybe you could have missed something along the way? Do you believe that college is just about going to class and studying? Or do you think that maybe there are lessons in life that college can teach you that have nothing to do with a textbook or a classroom?

If you are in a big rush to graduate, take a moment and think about why you are doing it. After you graduate from college, you will probably travel a little, and then you will more than likely get a job because that is just what college grads do. Then you will work some more and eventually start a family that will get bigger until you retire. You will enjoy all the joys that living brings until the day comes when your number is called and it is time for you to check out.

ACTION STEP:
How to Take the Right Amount of College Credits Per Semester

Please answer the following “Credit Crazy” questions:

1) Why are you in such a hurry to trade the joys of college for the joys of post-college life which await you anyway?

Answer: __________________________________________________

2) Why are you in a rush to join the big fraternity in the sky?

Answer: __________________________________________________

3) Why not take your time and enjoy your entire college journey?

Answer: __________________________________________________

There is nothing wrong with taking 12-15 credits a semester and smelling the campus roses a little bit. You can always take some summer classes here and there and graduate in five years instead of killing yourself to do it in four or even three!

Do you think education should be about constant progression or a series of progressions and reflections? What is the point of climbing a mountain if you are not going to look over your shoulder at the view from time to time? Think about it. As a student, you climb and climb the mountain until the day when your climbing time is up. Now I ask you, if a student never enjoys their daily climb by admiring the landscape and interacting with the other climbers, how much is the reward they will get for reaching the top of the mountain really worth?

The point of college is to get educated and grow in as many ways as possible. Higher education is not designed to be a trial that students have to merely endure for a set number of years. I suggest you treat college as a celebration of education, independence, and youth by encouraging yourself to look at your day-to-day opportunities with a profound sense of conviction.

Most college students spend too much time worrying about what they have to do tomorrow. It is always tomorrow and then tomorrow and then tomorrow…until they finally reach graduation day, which will not be followed by another college tomorrow.

The last thing any college student wants to do is race to the finish line of their college career just to discover they have been running blind the entire time. At that point there is no starting over, so you may as well enjoy your college journey while you can. Trust me on this one; when you are 30 years old, you will be glad you did.

Ok, now that you have read this entire message, please answer the three questions from above again. After you do that, if you still stand firm on taking a lot of extra credits each semester, that is your full right and prerogative as a self-motivated college student. However, be warned that there is definitely a cost for rushing through college, and itmay not be worth any benefits you receive. Plus, as with most things in life, if you really take your time and concentrate on something, you usually perform better at it in the end.

** The True College Success Cycle:
Class – Study – Play – Date – Class – Study – Socialize – Repeat

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