Yesterday I made probably what ranks highest in my long list of tough life decisions in front of “Where should I go to college?” “What career should I pursue?” and “Should I dye my hair?” As you can see I’ve had to make some really difficult picks of the past few years and I know that my future will include many more to come. But yesterday I made the decision to graduate this December rather than in May. It was not exactly a decision that came out of nowhere. I entered Ithaca College back in 2010 with 18 credits from high school and after taking a summer course and an internship I’ve been 22 credits ahead. I’ve used my advanced class standing wisely, electing to take higher level course sooner rather than later.
Over the summer the notion of graduating early re-entered my mind. As I applied for private loans I began to see the financial burden staying an extra 4 1/2 months would have on my future. Like the wise marketing communications student that I am, I wasn’t satisfied with my idea without some research to support a possibly life-altering decision. I began to ask everyone I knew that could give me different insight. These included:
- My friends who graduated
- My past and present employers
- The amazing people I work with at Career Services
- My family
- My friends
- EVERYONE!
Marissa Osowsky 