…from a guy who hasn’t finished college.
As a 30-year-old man who can finally call himself a senior in college, I’m aware that getting a degree isn’t the easiest thing to do. Four years ago, I decided my time working in retail needed to end, and I began using my paycheck as a means to further my education. Here are some tips to get you through school with little assistance from administration.
TIP 1: Don’t always accept what you’re being told.
Going to see a counselor can be helpful, but you know more about you than they do. You’re simply one of 50 students the counselor sees in any given day. They don’t know every major; their expertise is usually in general education. Unless you’re totally lost, it’s better if you do a little research yourself before going in. You know that checklist you do with a counselor? You should be doing that yourself at least two to three times per semester to stay on the right track, and don’t take classes you don’t need.
TIP 2: Use major courses as general ed.
If you’ve still got a bunch of General Ed to do, look at what your major requires you to take. You may find that some of your classes overlap. Getting a degree somewhere in the arts? You might be able to take a film class that satisfies two requirements; the requirement for your major and the general ed requirement for arts and humanities. One might be more enjoyable than other options you might have taken instead. Just be aware that not all classes count for both.
TIP 3: Don’t take random classes while you figure out what you want to do.
The worst thing you can do in college is aimlessly take classes while you figure out what you want to be when you grow up. That is what general education is for. If you take five art classes, and you aren’t an art major, you’ve satisfied your art requirement as well as wasted 12 units you might need later.
Remember, financial aid can only be given to students who meet certain requirements, one of which is that the student doesn’t have too many units. So grab your general education checklist and take classes from there. It’s designed to make you more well-rounded and help you find your career path at the same time.
TIP 4: Join a campus organization.
A lot of the time, most of the help and guidance you’re going to get is through your peers or a faculty adviser. If you see the same group of people every day, people who are also attempting to finish college, they might have more experience and be willing to help you figure out how this complicated thing we call college works. Ask for help; somebody will know the answer.
TIP 5: Know your “catalog rights.”
Just transferring in from Fresno City College or another two-year college? Don’t bother looking at the current catalog Fresno State offers. The information about your major might not apply to you. If you’re anything like me, you started school back in 2010 or so. If you never stopped going to school, you get to use the catalog that existed THEN.
Generally I’ve found that the older catalog requires you to take fewer classes to complete your major. While the current catalog might say you need 22 units, the older catalog could say you only need 12 to 17. Although it doesn’t change the fact that you need 120 units to graduate, you can finish your core major classes first, and then finish up with some less-intense, more-enjoyable classes just to get to 120.
