The bachelor degree is commonly referred to as a “four-year degree,” but students today are arguing that it’s becoming unrealistic to graduate in that amount of time.
Super seniors, students still in college after their fourth year, are becoming increasingly common at Cal Poly. The college experience has changed over the last 50 years, requiring harder classes and more of them, as well as several more graduation requirements like internships and senior projects.
Karen Owen, a sixth year electrical engineering student, feels that those who do graduate within the four-year parameter are usually unemployed and unconcerned with extracurricular activities.
“Most seniors I meet are in their fifth year of college, and it’s not because they’re lazy or switching majors constantly. College is taking up more and more time,” Owen said.
The order of classes can often set back students a quarter or two. Some students may only have a few classes left, but because of prerequisites, the classes have to be spread out.
In addition, the number of new students is greater than the number of new classes, meaning the classes fill quickly.
Jake Landley, a fifth year marketing student, only has two classes left to graduate. But, due to the overpopulation of students compared to classes, he was unable to enroll in one of them and now has to take another quarter before graduation.
“As seniors we should get more priority, but in senior classes, who gets the priority over the other seniors? With all these hurdles, I’m surprised anyone graduates in under five years,” Landley said.
Students who choose to double major usually expect to take longer than four years and add to the super senior pool.
In his sixth year, Sean Marsden is double majoring in English and political science.
“I knew it would be more work but I wanted to stay at college longer. I wasn’t ready to leave,” Marsden said. “But six years of college is harsh, and now that I’m only a few months away, I can’t wait to leave.”
Extra activities like clubs, Greek life and more can also force students to take longer than four years.
Since Cal Poly requires students to choose a major before enrolling, many students switch during their college career, which can also cause a setback.
Several students also have to work while going to college, part-time or full time. This can take away from time spent in class or doing homework, making it harder to take more than 12 units per quarter.
Justin Coogan, a fifth year nutrition student, has to work full time to help pay for his college expenses.
“If you’re a working college student, it’s pretty much impossible to graduate on time. The rules and standards have changed and so has the time frame that it takes to finish,” Coogan said.