| Getting a degree fast encompasses many elements: | | | | of my acquaintances were near the top in the |
| some of which you can control, and some of which | | | | management ranks of many different companies. |
| you cannot. Whether or not you can pursue college | | | | While I had accomplished a lot in my life--in many |
| credit quickly will depend on how much time your | | | | ways much more than they did--I still felt like a nobody. |
| normal classes require of you. If you have to juggle | | | | The bad economy brought me back to school, but |
| too much work, you will be overwhelmed with your | | | | what held me this time was the structure of the school |
| course load alone, and you may go bananas. For this | | | | itself. Whereas most schools have a semester length |
| reason, the school you choose is an essential element | | | | of sixteen weeks, the school I enrolled in had a |
| of determining the speed at which you can achieve | | | | condensed program with classes that lasted only eight |
| your degree, and the class structure they offer is a | | | | weeks. It enabled me to take two classes at the |
| main prerequisite. Let's look at my early experience in | | | | beginning of the semester, then two more at the |
| college to gain perspective regarding this. | | | | midpoint of the semester. I was enrolled full time, but |
| There is a psychological aspect about school that kept | | | | only had to juggle two classes instead of four. With |
| me from going back for over twenty years. When I | | | | the condensed format, I could concentrate on just two |
| just got out of high school, I felt I could do it all. I had a | | | | subjects, which was much less stressful and much |
| full-time job and thought I could handle a full schedule in | | | | easier to coordinate. Any time I had left over was |
| college as well. As we all know, the standard college | | | | easier to identify and set aside for the pursuit of other |
| schedule is a Fall and Summer semester with Fall | | | | means of gaining credit. Also, I consistently remained |
| classes beginning in September and ending in | | | | more relaxed and ready to learn something new. |
| December. I enrolled in four classes and burned myself | | | | While the net result of my in-class time was 12 credits, |
| out within a few months. Given, the classes I took | | | | the same as in a classical sixteen week format, the |
| were all difficult, I could barely handle two. I dropped | | | | psychological weight of it was significantly reduced. I |
| one class early on, and then another one late in the | | | | was able to finish my coursework with little stress and |
| semester. It felt disgraceful. It made me realize the | | | | had the free time to find other ways to gain credit. |
| horrible truth: if I could only handle two courses at a | | | | Another unexpected benefit of this was that I could |
| time, I was going to be in school for the next ten years. | | | | spread out the cost of books and supplies across |
| Worse yet, I watched my friends who chose not to go | | | | each semester. |
| straight into college enjoying themselves in life while I | | | | If you want to get on the fast track to a college |
| struggled terribly. I finished out the semester and gave | | | | degree, then the stress level your school imposes |
| up on school. I was making enough money anyway; | | | | through its class structure will play a big part in whether |
| more than my friends did. I decided I did not need | | | | or not you can handle any extracurricular |
| school after all. Over the years, I had to put the | | | | credit-seeking activity. This factor lays the foundation |
| shallowness of this viewpoint out of my mind as I | | | | for a high-speed degree program, or undermines it. If all |
| watched myself get passed over, time after time, for | | | | that your school offers is the classical approach, I |
| promotions. I was not even considered. Twenty years | | | | would consider switching to a more up-to-date, |
| later, I was still doing the same job. By then, a number | | | | dynamic, and student-centered school. |