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Senior Survey, 1998

Took more than four years to graduate because...

Q17: DEAR CJ:  I AM TAKING MORE THAN 4 YEARS TO GRADUATE BECAUSE...

If a major program has 10 or fewer students, then the four-character major code is represented as XXXX to protect the respondent's anonymity.  For a translation of the letter codes that represent the themes under which each comment was coded (e.g. EX=Did Extras), see the document:"Dear CJ: Time to Graduation--Codes and Themes."

For a translation of the four-character SIS major codes see the Major Translation Table--last retrieved from Information Resource Management's web page on March 23, 2000.

DID EXTRAS (eg, STUDY ABROAD, ANOTHER MAJOR)
--Arts and Sciences

CM  EX
ANTH  0668  I was quite confused when I first got to C.U.  I went through 2 majors
before finally deciding on Anthropology.  I also took too many electives, all
of which gave me a good broad & diverse education.  However, reflecting back,
I now think I would have taken some time off between H.S. & C.U. & perhaps
given myself more time to think about what it was I wanted to do.

EX
ANTH  1486  I took 5 years because I wanted two majors.

EX  WK
BASA  1054  I had to - it was hard b/c I didn't plan very well, but I did.  -Money was
an issue as was the fact that I needed to stop being in school - at least for  a while. (Ie I wanted to finish)

EX  WK
BFAS  0543  My widowed mom was running out of money to send me to school out-of-state.
I had to take a year off in order to achieve in-state status.  My mom could
not offer me financial assistance and I had to work my butt off.  I was very
happy to return to school and my grades have improved significantly since  then.

EX  UF  MJ
COMM  0038  I took one additional semester on top of four years.  The reason, I am receiving a double
major.  Not every class I need is offered every semester, so you have to take other classes to
fill squares when the class(es) you need are not offered.  Secondly, I do not declare
Communication until my sophomore year.  I lost a year trying to decide what exactly I wanted to
do after greaduating and knowing that I did not want to go on to graduate school I wanted more
than just one Bachelor's degree.  I jest needed to learn about the university and decide what
was best for me.  It took me that extra semester to do that.

EX
COMM  0525  I was excited to go and use what I have learned & the gifts I have in  ministry.

WK  EX
COMM  1450  I took longer than four years because I had a job opportunity in New York
City.  It was something I couldn't pass up, but the CU time-out program
allowed me to leave & come back.  CU is a great school, and I was one of the  fortunate ones to attend.

EX
DNCE  0574  I took the time to dance at the University of Utah for a semester.  I also
decided to double major in dance & advertising.

EX
ECON  0151  Study abroad.

EX
ECON  0253  So far I have taken six years on and off because Chicago sucks and Colorado rules!  Too bad
you graduated from po-dunk crap college in Illinois and never left the state.  You may be
earning more cash right now, but I can fall out of my bed and onto a mountainside that you have
to spend hundreds, if not thousands, to see once a year.  Poor sap, if you had any sense, you
would have paid your own way through scool and done what you wanted, not your folks or
grandparents wishes.  Speaking of how our college careers have differed, yours was filled with
commutes to and from your folks house, chump high school buddy losers, and ugly Illinoisian
chicks, mine's been filled with the dank schooling CU offers, snowboarding, mountain biking,
shooting, running across mountains, big dogs, hot chicks, naked cliff diving, librality in a
police state(town), riots, parties, skateboarding, rollerblading, quiet mountain camping trips,
dog fines, skiing, girlfriends, fun bars, a winning football team, exciting classes, crazy sex,
a big beautiful campus, fishing, ever-so-distant parents, big skies, awesome mountains, police
busts, canoeing, kayaking, tubing, swimming, sledding, orgies, relaxing mountain drives, and did
I mention the hot chicks!?!

WK  EX
ENGL  0564  I was paying out of state tuition & the money ran out, so I had to drop
out of school & work full time until I got residency so I could go back to
school & afford it.  I was then working full time & taking 2 classes a
semester b/c I couldn't handle any more work in school.  It was hard - I  wouldn't recommend it.

EX
ENGL  1179  I decided to get my bachelor's degree in English and get my teaching
certificate all at once.  Both programs were too much to fit in in 4 years  (but I did not take summer school either).

TP  MJ  EX
ENGL  1404  ...of a few reasons.  First of all, I am a transfer student from UNM, &
when I entered CU, I did not know my major (s) yet.  Secondly, not only am I
an English Lit. major, but I am also in the school of Education!  I could have
graduated after the summer of 1997, but I decided to get through most of my  student teaching before graduating.

EX
ENGL  1407  I took time off to travel in Europe for a semester.  Also, I double
majored in MCDB and English, and I wanted to complete a thesis in MCDB.

EX
ENGL  1433  I took four years to graduate because that was how long it took me to  complete my English & History majors.

EX  NA
ENVS  0031  longer than four years myself, because I decided to acquire a second major.  I was confused
my freshman and sophomore years because I did not know if I wanted to go pre-med, switch to
business, stay with biology or what.  My sophomore year I switched from Biology to Environmental
studies.  Then, when it looked like I would be done early with that, I decided to get a minor in
Biology.  My senior year I realized that I already had the minor, and had finished ENVS, so I
decided to take an extra semester to get a double major.  Unfortunately, not having seen an
advisor since my sophomore year, I didn't realize that I only had six credits left after my four
years to graduate.  Had I known, I would have taken those classes earlier to graduate with a
double in Four.  Therefore I made a mistake.  Be careful when you choose your classes.

EX  CM  TP
ENVS  0068  Because I ended up transferring to CU and changing my major plus decided  to go abroad again.

EX
ENVS  0467  I took longer than four years because I decided to study abroad.  However it was worth it.
Studying abroad is the most worthwhile expense and experience.  After returning from my semester
abroad, I added a second major, which tacked on an extra semester.  I was going to drop my first
major at that point, but an advisor in ENVS suggested I continue with chemistry.

EX
ENVS  1124  I went on two study abroads and got a minor in another field that  interested me.

EX
EPOB  0002  I wanted to obtain an HDA position in the Department of  Housing/residential education.

EX
EPOB  0424  Dear Bobby, I graduated in four and a half years because I had to take the
MCAT in April and therefore, took a smaller class load in the spring.  If I
had it to do over again I would have majored in Business and minored in
Biology.  Therefore, I could get a job out of school while applying to medical
school.  Instead I will most likely get a low paying job which does not
utilize any of the skills I have acquired here at CU.  The only good jobs that
are available are with biotech companies if the interests you.  But the major
was great, I just would have done it differently if I had it to do over again.  Your friend, Phil McCraken

EX  WK
EPOB  0689  I had to get residency & work & go back to get teaching certificate.

EX
EPOB  0917  I participated in many exciting experiences not found in a university or
college setting.  There are more ways to obtain an education than just sitting
in a classroom looking at hypothetical situations.

EX
EPOB  1414  I have three majors and it is virtually impossible to graduate in four  years with all the classes required.

EX
GEOG  0711  I took about 3 years off to ski in Aspen, which at first I figured was a
bad idea, possibly even not going back, but now hindsight being 20/20, myself
back in school and about to graduate, I'm glad I took the time to ski.

TP  EX
GEOG  1402  I took 5 years because I started @ Boulder, transferred sophomore year,
then took a year off, and then re-admitted myself back to Boulder for the  final two years.

EX
GEOL  1015  I took 6 years myself because of lack of academic progress and taking a  semester off.

EX  GP
HIST  0218  I took 5 years to graduate because it is too difficult to fulfill all
requirements with good grades by taking more than 4 or 5 classes per semester.
Especially with a minor, it is difficult to take everything within 4 years.

EX
HIST  1020  I decided midway through my Psychology degree that I wanted to be a
teacher.  I'd put too much time in it to drop, however, so I double majored in
Psychology and History and I have a minor equivalent in English.

EX
HUMN  0323  I took a long longer simply because I was working for 20 years
before I had the chance to return to school.  I don't recommend
being a non-traditional student.  You miss part of the experience
even though there are other aspects of going to college when you're
older that make you appreciate it in different ways.  Stay in
school while your parents can help and you've got the energy  to study and enjoy life.

EX
HUMN  1301  I am a 6th year senior and plan to graduate in one more year.  My advice
to anyone who enters college is to take advantage of all the classes offered.
This is the only time in your life when you will have this opportunity.

FP  EX
IAFS  0350  I got married, started 3 businesses & bought my first house.

EX
IAFS  0903  I wanted a break from the CU scene to re-orient my priorities & seek some
new opportunities.  Very well worth it & now I appreciate CU even more.

EX
IAFS  1254  Longer than four years because I studied abroad for one year and took on a
double major.  Both were great decisions!

EX  TP  WK
IAFS  1314  I took longer than four years because it took some time off, had to
transfer from another state school and worked roughly 20-30 hours per week  while in school.

CM  PM  EX
IAFS  1598  of the high class load.  Having a minor in Russian, and changing my major  after my freshman year.

EX
JPNS  0353  I'm getting two completely different degrees - Business & Japanese.
Therefore, I have a lot of extra credits and requirements than most people.

EX
KINE  1087  I double majored in English Literature and Kinesiology, and those two  majors don't have too much in common.

EX
MCDB  0769  I took longer then four years because I added a douple major at the end of my sophomore year
MCDB/EPOB.  I could have graduated in four years still, but  i choose to take my time and take
advantage of independent research, which is so important in the science fields.

EX  UF
PRJR  0777  I am pursuing a double major in Political Science & Journalism.  Also, my
first year, I basically had no clue as to course selection.

EX
PSCI  1154  Slightly longer than 4 years because I had three majors and the  requirements stacked up.

EX
PSCI  1210  4 Years taken & studied abroad should have taken summer school so I could  be out in 3 or 31/2.

TP  EX
PSCI  1236  I went part time for a total of one year and went to three different
universities!  Also, I am in the Teacher Education program (which added an  additional semester for me).

EX  WK
PSYC  0552  I wanted to double major in Philosophy because I enjoy it, and because I
am working full time while finishing up.

EX
PSYC  0720  I double majored and took time to take courses that I am really interested
in.  I didn't want to waste the opportunity to gain as much from college as  possible.

EX
PSYC  0976  I realized that I had no idea what I wanted to do coming out of high
school.  I wasted a lot of time and money that first year and also blew my
GPA.  Taking 3 years off was the smartest thing I ever did.  Going back  to CU-Boulder was not.

EX  TP  WK
PSYC  1435  Many people do graduate in four years, although it seems to be becoming
more rare as universities grow.  It has taken me a while, 6 years (?) - I
stopped counting a while back. It's not as though I have been trudging along,
non-stop - I've taken time off to travel and work, I've transferred schools,  gone part-time, etc.

EX
RLST  0797  I wanted to study things that I was interested in to round out my  education.

EX
SOCI  1180  I took a semester abroad in Nepal and double-majored.

EX
XXXX  1512  I decided to double major in Russian & International Affairs & the IA program takes about 4 & 1/2 years anyway, but I felt the degree would be well  worth it.

--Business and Administration

EX  WK
ACCT  1102  I moved to Colorado and took a year off to become a resident.  I also
worked full time to pay my way through school which meant I had to take 12  units instead of 15-18 per term.

TP  EX
ACCT  1293  I had to get residency, went to a Jr. college, transferred to Boulder,  then stayed more to get MS.

EX
ACCT  BBB3  I decided to do it right & get a masters.  I always felt that this was a
chance to learn & become the more knowledgeable individuals, so I would say if
you are going to go to a university, get the most out of it.

EX
FNCE  0128  Because I was smart to get a double degree with Computer Science &  Finance.

EX
INFS  0214  I wanted to take a semester off to apply some of the theories from school
to real world scenarios.  It has proved beneficial, and would not change my  decision if I were to start over.

EX
INFS  1535  I took four and a half years myself due to a couple of reasons.
The first reason is that I left school for one year immediately following
my freshman year.  This was the smartest thing I could have done as I gained
in-state tuition classification.  I then made up a semester by taking 18 credit
hours in one summer.  Still, if I had not changed majors and done a little more
planning, I would have graduated in 4 years, included the year I had off.

EX
MGMT  0331  I studied abroad in Australia for a semester and only received 3 credits
that are going towards my graduation.

EX
MKTG  0651  I participated in varsity sports and I am a foreign student.

EX
MKTG  0942  I considered studying abroad very important for my career.  I went to
Florence Italy and had the best experience of my life.  I encountered a wide
variety of people in my travels and learned a lot from their cultures.  I am
pursuing a career in mktg and my focus will be in the international arena, my
exposure to the different cultures was a learning experience itself and was  worth delaying graduation for one semester.

EX
MKTG  1303  I took longer than four years because I am double majoring. It is possible (but difficult,)
however, to graduate in four years with one major. Some people take longer because they switch
majors or they get screwed their fresman and sophmore years in getting classes they need.

PM  EX
MKTG  1341  I entered college as an undecided A&S student.  I did not enter the
Business School until the spring of my sophomore year.  I also studied abroad
for a semester.  Because of all of this, It will take me an extra semester to
graduate.  Had I attended summer school, I could have graduated on time.

--Engineering and Applied Science

EX
ASEN  0352  I pursued two interests - aerospace engineering and business management.
The opportunities it will provide me were definitely worth the extra semester.

EX  GP
ASEN  0438  I have a minor in Biochemistry.  Take less classes, but get better grades
and understandings in these classes.

TP  EX
ASEN  1587  longer than four years because I transfered from Fort Lewis College after two years,
and I enlisted in the National Guard where I completed one year of active duty training.

EX
ASEN  1597  longer than four years myself because I decided that getting
an Applied Math minor in addition to my major would open more  career doors for me in the long run.

EX
CHEN  0216  I went skiing & took 4-1/2 years to finish.  -Gave myself more time to  ski.

EX
CSEN  0064  longer than four years myself because most ROTC credits did not
count toward graduation.  I had to take three years of ROTC class
and only 6 credits counted toward my humanities.  Therefore, I
had to take humanities that 'counted' and that took me an extra  semester.

EX
CVEN  0309  My time spent in the navy allowed me to attend school on a part-time
basis, this and the transfer to CU-Boulder cause me to lose some classes and
the addition of the minimum of 4.5 units in residence.

GP  EX
EEEN  0474  I was also involved in Army ROTC & engineering.  I decided after taking 18
hours my 1st semester, I wanted to cut my hours each semester to 14-16, so I
could focus on fewer classes.  This gave me more free time & I was able to  improve drastically.

EX
EEEN  0910  I did a double major.

EX
MCEN  0480  I wanted to earn a minor in Biochemistry so I can go on to graduate school  for medicine.

EX
MCEN  0898  I was working to develop my business and pursuits unrelated to "university  life".

EX
MCEN  0995  I left CU and then returned which put me slightly off track.  I also
decided to get a double degree which took more time.

--Architecture and Planning

EX
ARCH  0194  At the age of 18 & a high school graduate, I really had no idea what I
wanted to do with my life.  If I hadn't dropped out of college to take the
time to figure out who the hell I am, I probably would have ended up with a  Business degree & hating myself.

MJ  EX
ARCH  0825  I needed time to find direction and I am pursuing a double degree, which
requires many extra hours.  Love, Adam

--Journalism and Mass Communication

EX
NSED  0062  It is important to have more than one degree to separate yourself from the
competition when looking for a job.

EX
NSED  0092  I chose to have a double major in tow different colleges.

--Music

EX
MUSA  0008  I am getting two degrees: One in engineering, and one in music.  Also, I
chose to take extra music courses because I didn't feel there were enough in  the program.

EX
MUSC  0458  I needed to gain experience in living life, to ultimately decide how far I
must go in order to achieve the things I set out to do.

EX
MUSC  0896  Hi friend, I finally got to graduate!  I took 5 years in college because
I'm trying to get a double degree.  It is very hard to get 2 degrees in 5
years, even.  But I thought that CU has a fine undergraduate program; so that
I decided to go for it.  I hope that you come to CU and check out the fine
campus and people - both faculty members and students - and their finest  education!

MJ  EX
MUSE  0513  I took my time to decide my major.  I was originally a vocal performance
major.  Halfway through my sophomore year, I answered to my true calling
(education) as a result of my work with the dropout prevention issue.  Then I
took time off to compete at the Miss America pageant.

TRANSFER PROBLEMS
--Arts and Sciences

TP  NA
ANTH  0657  I was a t transfer student and I lost a lot of credits when I moved from
U. of O.  It was also very hard to graduate in four years when I was not
informed of basic MAPS deficiencies until my final year of school.  Because of
this I was forced to take Spanish for three terms, including this upcoming
summer, so I will be unable to do a program with my major that I had been
planning on doing.  Boulder had never specified what I had actually needed to
do and when I first started attending I was told that I didn't need to take  any more foreign language.

TP
ANTH  1481

TP
BASA  0487  CU screwed me in the ass with all my classes I took before coming to this
shitty school. Out of two and a half years of school one class transfer as
something , all the others right info electives.

TP  CM
CHEM  0396  I changed majors several times, & also changed universities 3 times.

FP  TP
ENVS  0888  The doctors found a brain tumor in my head & I had to drop out of
the 96-97 school year, also my transfer from the Evergreen State College
after my sophomore year, slowed me down a tad.  That's fine with me
though because I have a much greater perspective on life through some  crazy experiences.

NA  TP
ENVS  1197  ...I took longer than four years myself because I transferred university
in 1995.  However, I believe I could have graduated at least a semester
earlier had the advising been better in the environmental studies department.

TP  WK  CM
FILM  0768  I transferred universities, worked full time, and changed my major 2 years
into my college experience (so my junior year).

TP
FMST  1167  I transferred from Montana State University and half of my credits didn't  count towards graduation.

CM  TP  HF
KINE  0315  I switched majors and went to 3 different schools so not all classes
transferred in my favor.  I also think it was good to take my time and soak in
all the info possible, not rush through school.

TP  WK  HF
KINE  0344  I was a transfer student from Penn State and when I got to C.U., I
realized that I was going to need to make up some credits.  I also generally
did not take more than 15 credits per semester so I could work and also enjoy
the environment that Boulder has to offer.

TP
MATH  0792  I transferred one school to another.

TP
OPNO  1556  I transferred to CU and map and Business School requirements have kept me
from entering into the Business School at time of transfer allowing me to  graduate on time.

TP
PHIL  1260  I took one semester off to transfer to CU Boulder from Boston after the  end of my sophomore year.

--Business and Administration

TP  UF
ACCT  0973  I transferred from another school.  Therefore, I was required to take
courses my other university did not require.  CU is also notorious for making
out of state residents stay in school as long as possible.  So watch out.  I
am going to be educated, but in lots of debt.

NA  TP
MKTG  0684  Because I transferred from a school in MI.  Upon my preliminary interview
at CU, advisors at A&S & B-School both said that all my credits transferred
except one.  After being accepted & moving, I was then informed that some
major classes would only count as electives, but not business electives.  The
fact that I was lied to caused me to stay an extra semester, but I was able to
get out under 5 yrs. because I got in-state tuition once they found out I was  paying less, I got out quicker.

--Engineering and Applied Science

TP
CVEN  0053  I'm a transfer student, and not all of my credits transferred.  College is  fun, though...so it's alright.

TP  GP
MCEN  0450  All of my transfer credits didn't apply to my major.  In order to finish
in four years, I would have had to take too many hours per semester to give  each course sufficient attention.

TP
MCEN  0887  I tooklonger than four years because as a transfer student, not all of the coursework that i
had completed at my previous university had equivalent courses here at C.U.  I would have
preferred to graduate in only four years, and this would have been possible had I attended C.U.  since my freshman year.

TP
MCEN  1294  Mechanical Engineering at CU would not accept me in the middle of a school  year.

TP  HF
MCEN  1419  ...because of my transfer to CU.  When I arrived in Boulder some,
but not all of my credits transferred.  I decided to enjoy my college
experience and not press too hard academically.  While the ME guideline
presents of 16-18 credits, I took 12-16 per semester.  This gave me more
time for my studies, and more importantly more extracurricular time  which enabled me to keep my sanity!

TP
MCEN  1453  I took four years and a summer myself mainly due to the fact
that I transferred here and lost credits in the process.

--Architecture and Planning

TP
ARCH  0635  Corey - like most of our graduating class, I am going to graduate next
Dec. (4-1/2 years) because of transferring from CSU.  At CSU I took their
basic requirements which was to much for my major at CU and my Calc. class
didn't transfer to what I needed.  Also, I only took 12 credits for 3
semesters while I had a studio class, so that I could spend more time working
on my projects.  Talk to you soon - Stephanie

--Journalism and Mass Communication

TP
ADVT  0024  I have been to three different colleges.  The first school I attended, my
father lost his job, so I went to a school back home.  Once we got a little
more money, I wanted to go somewhere else, that is why it took me five years.

TP
NSED  0051  I transferred from another college where almost all of my classes didn't  apply towards my major.

HAD TO WORK
--Arts and Sciences

WK
ANTH  0354  It is very expensive to go to CU & I wanted to ease the financial burden.

WK
ANTH  0725  I was in a situation where I had to work part time to pay for my rent &
other necessities.  All turned out for the best because in that time I was
able to decide what I wanted to do with my life & I believe I am a better  person because of it.

WK
BASA  0963  I had 2 careers and several businesses to run for 10 years after my first  3-1/2 years in college.

WK
BFAS  0793  Dear C.U.  I took six years, because, I am an older student & need to work  full time & go to school.

WK  GP
ENVS  0508  Dear CJ:  I know that some of our classmates graduated in four years, and some took longer.  I
took longer than four years for myself because I need to.  I had to take time off to work and
bring my GPA up to an acceptable average.
It was necessary at this same point for me to take time off and decide if I really wanted to be
in school and why.  I earned enough money to get back in and registeres.  By taking time off and
working I saw how different things really are.  I did not have a bus pass or access to the
things I needed when I was in school.  I had to work much harder to make rent and I did not have
as much flexibilty with my scedule as when in school.
Taking longer than four years has taught me many valuable lessons.  I have learned that I need
to be responsible financially.  I have learned that I need more of a foundation academically in
order to go on to graduate school.  I have learned where I need to be putting my energy and
where I can no longer put my energy because it is draining.
It is important to be more independent when one leaves college, because the changes that are to
come after college can be dealt with when a person learns how to before entering the world
"outside of school."  I'm glad I have learned how to handle many of the "SHOCKS" and drastic
changes in our lives that all of us face.
College, especially CU-Boulder, is a place where you can get a great education, a great hands on
experience, or a wonderful living experience!  Or maybe all of these combined---It may just take
a little longer.  Take your pick!!!!

WK
PSCI  0256  I had to go to work due to lack of motivation & poor grades.  Went to
community college while working full time, earned good grades, and finally  started at CU.

CM  WK
PSYC  0538  I changed my major & worked full time off campus all semesters I was  enrolled.

WK
WMST  0363  I took five years because I worked full-time and went to school full-time.

--Business and Administration

WK
BUUD  1551  I needed to be able to work enough to support myself financially and
therefore, I usually took 12 credit hours instead of 15 which increased my  time in school.

WK
MKTG  0312  I took longer than four years, because I quit school to work sometimes and then dropped back
in to school again every so often.

--Engineering and Applied Science

HF  WK
ASEN  1234  I took longer than four years myself, because I had many things I wanted
to do in school.  I wanted to work, I wanted to have a "life", but most of
all, I wanted to learn what I was being taught.  I treated classes as a game
to see how much I could learn.  Forget about the grades, but learn all that I
can.  Less classes each semester allowed to focus on learning, and living.
Also it allowed me to work and pay for school... NO LOANS! Yeah!  Anyway, I hope this helps.

UF  WK
MCEN  0576  I had to take a lot of courses that had nothing to do with my major.  I
also had to work outside of school to pay for these courses.  Too bad for me.

--Architecture and Planning

WK
ARCH  1217  I worked part time in an architectural firm for 2 years.  It was a great
supplemental experience to my education and helped me to see what to really  pay attention to in my classes.

--Journalism and Mass Communication

WK
NSED  0398  I worked throughout college to help pay my bills.  As a result, I usually
only took 12 credits per semester.  At the end of four years, I wouldn't have
enough credits to graduate, so I had to take an extra semester in order to  complete my required credit hours.

1998 Senior Survey Opens -- by Most Often-Mentioned THEME, College and Major

Q17: DEAR CJ:  I AM TAKING MORE THAN 4 YEARS TO GRADUATE BECAUSE...
     PBA:csk--09JUN99--l ir survey senior sr98 opens (q17opcol.tx2)

CHANGED MAJOR
--Arts and Sciences

CM
COMM  0940  I switched my major from pre-pharmacy/communication to just communication.
It set me back one semester, but I am now considering extending my graduation
one more semester &  declare a major in Italian and study abroad for a great  experience.

WH  CM
ECON  0018  I worked my butt off.  I started out slow w/13 cr. first semester & 14
credits the next.  I also changed my major from Comp Sci to Business to
Japanese to Econ., however, I'm able to finish in 4 yrs b/c I went from the
Engineering to A&S, and always was on the same route to my current major.
Always have a minor on hand so you can have a portion of the degree completed  if you decide to change your major.

CM
HIST  1113  I started in the College of Engineering, basically wasting a year in
school, before switching to the history program and finishing in 4 years.

CM
KINE  0872  I changed majors and had to take more classes.  I took 4 classes that I
didn't need for KINE degree.  And I wanted to take an extra two semesters so I  could try to raise my GPA.

CM
KINE  1313  I switched majors.  I previously was a MCDB major which did not hold my
interest.  Switching to Kinesiology was the best choice for me because it
pertains more to my interests and my lifestyle.

CM
SPPR  1250  I changed my major from Biology to Spanish for the Professions because I
wanted to be more diversified in case I didn't become a doctor.

--Business and Administration

CM
ACCT  0056  I stayed in a major I didn't like.  My advice is to enter college as
open option for your freshman year to decide what you are interested  in, then choose a major

CM
ACCT  0405  I was not sure of my interests when I started.  I am glad it did take
longer because I did change and I had an opportunity to act on it.

CM
FNCE  0457  I started out in engineering and switched majors.  Some of my credit
didn't count towards business electives.

CM
FNCE  0666  I was in Arts & Sciences for a couple of years, and therefore my major  work was a bit behind.

CM
INFS  1184  I made a late change in majors.  It all worked out though and five years was fun.

--Engineering and Applied Science

CM  HF
EEEN  0029  I switched majors and then I took a lighter course load.  I highly
recommend this because I've been able to enjoy my college  experience a little more.  I recommend doing this but try to
take lighter courses your last semester because it's been
quite difficult keeping up with senior classes, a job, and looking  for a career.

CM
EEEN  1415  I switched majors.

--Architecture and Planning

CM
ARCH  0692  I transferred schools after 2 years, and I also changed my major to
architecture, which requires 128 credits to graduate.

CM
PLAN  0855  I transferred schools and changed my major 5 times.  It only took me 2-1/2  yrs. @ CU to finish a new major.

--Journalism and Mass Communication

CM  NA
ADVT  0289  I changed my major my jr. year & got bad advising which caused me to  enroll in classes I didn't need!

--Music

CM
MUSA  1149  I switched degree programs and career shifts.

IN NO HURRY, TOOK IT EASY
--Arts and Sciences

HF
ANTH  0082  Sometimes you get thrown for a loop and have to adjust to unexpected
circumstances.  I have no regrets about the time it took me to graduate
because I got to take a few extra classes just for the sake of learning  something that is not required by my major.

HF
BAAH  0148  I wanted to take that long.  Sometimes I think "cool" others "wow, I might
be old" but ya know what I'm on my own schedule and nobody elses.  Word!  Peace out B.J.

HF
ENGL  0305  Don't try to rush out, taste a variety of courses, find what you love,
then do it.  Don't take too long but make the experience broad & worth it.

HF
ENGL  1238  I chose not to rush out of a great period of my life only to find myself
standing out in the open wondering how I got where I am and why in such a  flustered hurry.

HF
ENVS  0167  I need time for personal growth.  After I spent time evaluating my own
interests & personality, I could successfully compete at college.

HF
KINE  0900  I needed more time to determine what I wanted to spend the rest of my life
doing.  You are only young once, don't rush things and take full advantage of
what your college years have to offer you.

HF
MCDB  1058  I partied really hard freshman year, took many fun elective classes (on
top of some major & core classes) and didn't plan quite well enough in
addition to taking time abroad.  But I had a blast and learned a lot about
life in the meantime which is just as valuable, I think.

HF
PRNU  0286  I've returned to CU because I decided on a different career path than one I'd chosen
earlier.  I think that every student should take the amount of time that is suitable to him/her
as we all go through different stages of development and self-discovery at our own pace.  It is
much more important that one get through college/university with peace of mind and a sense of
direction and self-assuredness in 5 or 6 years, than a meaningless degree in 4.

HF
PSYC  1338  I am not in a hurry to rush off to grad school & then to work.  I would
like to get to know myself a bit & drift around while I'm still young.  Don't  want to dive into the rat race.

--Business and Administration

HF
INFS  0512  It took me some time to focus after high school.  I do not regret the time
spent to explore, but I do regret money wasted and spotty transcripts.

--Engineering and Applied Science

HF
ASEN  0144  There is alot to be learned in college.  It is important that this be a well rounded
experience.  I will graduate in four and a half years with approx. 26 extra credits due to
taking extra required navy classes.  You should find a schedule that keeps you busy enought that
you keep motivated, however, I recommend that you not try to take too much at once as you will
learn less and be less satisfied with your experience.  It is good to get out when you are
stressed but do not make relieving stress you major priority or you will never make it a CU.
Take care and see you soon.

HF
ASEN  0691  I was lacking in self discipline at first.  I took a long, circuitous road
to get towhee I am today, but overall, I am a better, stronger and more mature  person for having lived the experience.

HF
CSEN  0897  I was a slacker and did not do courses in the right order

HF
CSEN  1507  I wasn't totally focused the entire time.  I knew I would get through, but  it wasn't ever my top priority.

HF
EEEN  0248  I wanted to enjoy myself and not rush off into the world.  Experience more
things outside school while I still had time.

HF
EEEN  0275  I realized that it was not critical to fit into the four year mold that I
thought existed while I was in high school.  More important to go at your own
speed - smell the roses while you can, no?

--Architecture and Planning

HF
ARCH  1310  I took some time to mature.

--Journalism and Mass Communication

HF
NSED  1384  I found out that what I wanted to do was no longer in a university
setting, but if you find something you like in school, stick it out.  Don't go
to college if you think that it'll tell you what you want to do though because  it won't.

OTHER
--Arts and Sciences

GP
ANTH  0152  I needed to try to bring my GPA up from when I was a freshman and did not know how
to do college level studies.  Then I stayed longer also because I really enjoyed
my education once I started paying attention. Don't mess around in your first years
you may live to regret it. GPA's, no matter how good a student you become, do not  get better easily.

GP
BCHM  0019  I felt it was important to keep up a good GPA, not to finish in the
"ideal" time.  By not loading up with 16-18 credit semesters, I appreciated my
classes more, and didn't get frustrated as easily.

MJ
BCHM  0276  I didn't take classes that I needed to graduate in my first year of  college.

PM
CLAS  0964  I got a degree in music & classic, which requires a minimum of 150  credits.

MJ
ECON  0301  I had no idea what I was doing until my junior year.  It wasn't until I
realized I'd better figure my life out.

MJ
ECON  0313  I was not sure what I wanted to do.  It took me an extra year to figure it out.  I learned a
lot in that time, but it was an expensive lesson.

FP  UF
ECON  0740  Of disabilities that impaired my mental & physical abilities.  Help was
probably available but it took me months to find.  Since CU is large I became
lost in the shuffle.  There was no one looking out for me when warning signs
appeared.  (ie. BPA declining many classes with W or I, etc.)

MJ  NA  UF
ECON  1448  I had poor advising as an undergrad & didn't declare a major until the end
of my sophomore year.  Then I ended up choosing something that didn't have
enough class options, so I had to spread out the classes more thinly.  Also,
most classes were impacted, so I took summer classes to fill requirements.

UF
ENGL  1432  4 out of the 5 classes I wanted my first semester at CU were unavailable
and I wound up taking classes that were all electives and had no relevance to  my degree.

UF
ENVS  0273  Dear CJ:  I know that some of our high school classmates graduated from college in four
years, and some took longer.  I took longer than four years  myself because of several reasons.
The first is that too much emphasis is put on you in high school from counselors, peers,
parents, etc. to IMMEDIATELY go to a four year school.  I was not ready when i went right after
graduation and I believe, because of that, I failed out of my first school (in Oswego, NY).
There need to be other options given such as: junior college, trade school, time off, time
abroad, etc. I know if I had waited a year or so, then went away or to a local junior college, I
would have done better, sooner.  But I have no regrets, I fulfilled my musical dream of playing
in a band, I traveled extensively throughout the country and didn't overstress myself in the
process.  Now with my graduation approaching at age 25, I regret nothing.  I am glad to have
done what I did, but I also hope future high-schoolers can see a wide spectrum of options, not
some sort of tunnel vision forced by too many outside pressures.

GP
ENVS  1421  I didn't want to overwhelm myself with too many classes.  I usually took
12 credit hours so that I could focus on each class individually and do the
best that I could.  It was worth the extra time (one semester more) for me to  do the best job that I could.

GP
EPOB  0397  I wanted time to concentrate on my classes (quality time) while I worked
full time rather than cram all my learning into four years while not being  able to appreciate the material.

UF
EPOB  1125  I had to take courses unrelated to my field of study instead of taking
courses that would prepare me for post-graduate work.

MJ
EPOB  1564  I didn't know what I wanted to major in -

MJ
EPOB  1579  I took some time trying to figure out what I enjoyed learning about which
turned out to be completely opposite from what I enjoyed in high school.  I am
really glad I took this time to be sure that I am spending a lot of time on  something I will enjoy in the future.

 FP
FMST  0886  I suffered a clinical depression and needed time to work things out in my
head and my life.  The extra years gave me a chance to relax before
confronting the "real world" and having to get a shitty job.

UF
IAFS  1279  The one class I needed to graduate was not offered in the spring semester
of  97 for my major, even though the department of IA said it was.  I
personally talked to the professor of the class I needed to graduate by May
97, but he said theat he was sorry that only business majors were allowed.  I
could take it in the fall, so I stayed another year to double major rather  than stay for just one class.

MJ  OT
KINE  0800  I didn't know what I wanted to do.  I didn't treat school like a job
therefore, I didn't have all the information & guidance needed to choose
classes & programs wisely.  I had a medical problem that almost killed me and
in general had to grow up emotionally as well as learn to focus on scholastics  when in stressful situations.

NA
KINE  0835  There is very little advising given during the first two years.

OT
MCDB  0045  Because I started college at 16 and then transferred schools.

FP
PHIL  0906  I went part-time some semesters due to my responsibilities as a mother of
two.  The university staff, faculty & educational program were very conducive  to my needs.

UF  MJ
PHIL  1582  I got lost in the system - didn't know what to take etc.  Along side at
that, I also lost myself. - I had to figure out what I really wanted to apply
myself to.  Too many interesting classes out there you don't get to take if  you stick solely to your major curriculum.

FP
PSCI  0136  Too many in my family died within a 2 year time frame.

OT
PSYC  0782  I took longer than four years myself because when first came to CU, I had no idea what I  wanted to do.

UF
SOCI  0667  College had a way of dropping out around me.  Irrelevant studies and
important social issues didn't seem to blend well.

MJ
SOCI  1056  I was not sure what I wanted to do.

MJ
SPPR  0961  Five years because it took me awhile to figure out what I am interested in and care about  doing.

MJ
THTR  0010  longer than 4 years due to the lack of major/ career exploration

OT
WMST  0751  I really don't believe that following the four yrs. required in your major
provides you with a diverse enough education to effectively (not to mention
successfully) interact with our complex world.  Especially if you are a
business or science major, you could spend your whole 4 yrs. surrounded by
rich, white, north-faced ski-bums like yourself and never have to talk to a
poor person or a person of color, much less a radical poor person or person of
color (i.e. someone who doe not want to be a yuppy ski bum).  Instead, you
could just objectify them & kick them on the streets instead of trying to  understand difference.

FP
XXXX  0207  I took longer than four years because I have a family - but I would encourage a college student to be free to spend time in his study and on campus and make the college experience more complete rather than to rush  through.

--Business and Administration

FP
ACCT  0098  I have been concentrating on raising my family.

UF
INFS  0554  The university wouldn't admit me to the college I initially
applied for.  This left me with little actual goal or clear  knowledge of a major or how to get there.

FP
MGMT  0329  Of family duties & the expensive investment a college degree requires.

UF
MKTG  0575  longer because...I had to take classes that I will never use again because I didn't take
them in high school.

FP
MKTG  0787  I took some time off due to personal reasons.  Since coming back, I
thought I would be ready mentally, physically, & emotionally, but I guess I
was wrong.  I wasn't prepared mentally to intake all the info.  Again so I had  to take some more time off.

PM
MKTG  1122  I was unsure of what I wanted to do after graduation.

GP
MKTG  1570  I took less classes to focus more.

--Engineering and Applied Science

MJ
AREN  0215  I needed to decide for myself why I wanted to go to college.
After I decided that "I" wanted to do it (after a number of  years), things fell into place.  I started college because,
where I'm from, everyone goes off to college w/o thinking.

PM
AREN  0534  The load was too heavy in the first years.

PM
AREN  1096  five years because of the difficulty and many courses required in my program.

PM
ASEN  1257  I took longer than four years because of my major.  In the engineering school it is possible
to graduate in four years but that means a workload of about 18 credit hours per semester.  I
just didn't want to load myself up like that.

NA  UF
CHEN  0628  It took 4 1/2  years myself, because I got behind on my technical electives.  I was unlucky
with some of my choices for classes.  I was advised to take a Mechanical engineering class by
accident.  My advisor thought that I had the prerequisites for the class but I didn't.  I
eventually had to withdraw.  Also, I took an economics statistics class to satisfy a requirement
for my economics minor but the class didn't count towards my major because there was too much
overlap with an engineering statistics class I had already taken.  It was probably for the best
anyway.  If those two things didn't happen to me I would have needed to take 17 credits both
semesters my senior year to graduate on time.  Now that I have finished the first semester of my
senior year I don't think I could have done it.  Another factor was that I didn't have any
college credit coming out of high school.

NA  GP
CSEN  0140  I was ill advised upon coming to CU and took a Pascal class when I should
have taken CSCI 1300.  Then I had to take an incomplete in a class due to my
son's surgery.  Finally, I had to retake Calc III and Dkibt due to the  difficulty of adjusting to a large class.

GP
CSEN  0429  it's very hard to be taking more than 16 credit hours a semester.

OT
CVEN  1094  Adjusting to college life and academia was harder adjusting to than I
thought.  it took me a while to get started but once that happened I was  alright.

PM
MCEN  0017  Engineering takes time to learn, and can become frustrating.

--Architecture and Planning

PM
ARCH  0779  I took longer because I didn't want to kill myself trying take 128 time intensive credit
hours in four years.

OT
PLAN  1040  I started out as a molecular biology major (for 1-1/2 years) and was in a
program that was not for me.  The classes were too big and I had no
personalized help.  Genetics got the best of me and I chucked it all for the
School of Architecture and Planning and am proud to have finished that program
in under 4 years!  It was the best move I could have made.

--Music

OT
MUSA  0988  The beginning of my college career was rather rocky due to the fact that I
had some personal issues to deal with.  In fact, my time spent in college
could have been far more successful if I had taken time to resolve issues
before I ever even attended.  As a result, I wasted a lot of time making
mistakes then making up for them.  When I return to school as a graduate
student I will make sure I am prepared beforehand.

Last revision 07/30/03