Well I just graduated and it took 5 1/2 years, granted I took a year off for covid, but I think I’m doing fine, plus if my experience is anything to go by when your slightly older you take things more seriously which can be beneficial— don’t sweat it!

There's absolutely nothing wrong with this at all. Some people don't even start college until their mid 20s or even later, if they have the opportunity at all. Finishing a few months later than some of you peers is a minute difference in the grand scheme of things and you should try not to stress about it and focus on doing the best you can with the work that's left. You will look back on this and find it amusing you were concerned about it - enjoy the extra time you have studying before you move on to the working world where you most likely be for the next 40+ years. Good luck and all the best.

I'm a junior who's 21 years old I've been planning it out and it looks like ima have to take an extra year. You're fine my guy

I was 2 years "too late". I had an extra test in accounting to determine if I were allowed to attend the finals. It was only then that I understood a subject I didn’t understand for the whole time at college. I got an A on that test and crushed the finals with a B.

When I was still hiring, I barely even read the education section except out of curiosity or to come up with interview questions. The only thing disqualifying would have been if the school was fake (like a Trump University MBA or whatever). It matters for “prestigious” white shoe law firms, major investment banks, grad school, etc. but not really anyone else.

Don’t half-ass your cover letter and interviews, though. For people without experience, especially, I, personally, was always trying to make sure we had a good match. I read every cover letter in part to make sure (a) people were literate, (b) knew what the job entailed, and (c) could be put in a position to succeed. You don’t want to hire someone who doesn’t match. A person applying to a non-profit working with schools and a person applying at a rocket launch start-up aren’t equally qualified regardless of skills and that’s fine.

I know needing a job sucks but there are always qualified people who just aren’t a good fit. So, don’t take it personally if you get rejected. I’ve been to third interviews because I got along with someone and then not chosen for jobs that, in retrospect, I really shouldn’t have been hired to do. I would have been miserable and left. Maybe it was a culture mismatch or maybe I’d didn’t care about the product but thought, “I could live in that city and get another job in a year.” There’s always “finalists” and sometimes, it comes down to a coin flip.

On your cv/resume, are you putting the month-year you started and finished college, or just the end month year, or just the graduation year? As time passes, it'll be just the year you graduate. (Some day you might just say you have the degree from school name)

I took 5 years to consecutively not get a degree and I'm about to go back to finish 5 years later.

Yeah it sticks not graduating with the people you started with, but that really isn't any more of a signifier of success or failure than graduating at all.

Sometimes things happen and at that point everyone is mature enough to but be a dick.

You’re fucked you should give up. That was sarcasm.

You're fine, friend. I know the feeling. I dropped out of high school when some credits weren't gonna transfer and I was gonna graduate late. I got my GED and started college classes during the second semester of my senior year. Guess what? I didn't finish that either. I work in tech, where you can be self-taught and make a nice living; that isn't true for most industries, I'm just saying there's no requirement that we approach education as a cookie cutter absolute.

You know who else is graduating late? People your age who took a year off to travel abroad. People who had tuition struggles. People who fell on hard times and had to take time off. People who had a family member get sick and they had to care for them. Literally tons of people.

You're frustrated and that's valid. But it's really a very small issue in the grand scheme of your life. You're also at an age where things like that feel more important than they really are. Keep your head down. Study. Use the extra time this summer to try to get some experience at an internship or work on some way of furthering your knowledge in your field so you can be first out of the gate when you graduate. Get a tutor if you think that will help. You got this.

Define bad. There is nothing worse than going into debt. As long as you aren’t locking all your income behind monthly payments, you can rebound from anything. The time you take to graduate is meaningless in the grand scheme of success.

One of my corporate managers took 10 years to graduate with a bachelors degree. He makes about $450k a year.

22 and it's looking like I'll be failing units in my second year. It sucks for sure. I don't judge you one bit though, and think you've done extremely well so far. Congrats on what you've already accomplished, good luck with all you still have to.

It doesn't matter. You're there to learn, it's not a social club. If it takes you a little longer to learn it, then so be it.

Nah. It’s a bump in the road. You’re doing great.

I’m graduating a year later too.

Some people graduate in 3 years, some in 4, some in 5+. It really is different for everyone. Unless it is exceedingly financially difficult to afford these two additional classes, you’ll probably be okay.

Nah. It's fine. I ended up taking an extra year to get my BSME. Nobody has ever once questioned that on my resume. Luckily, a few of my friends continued on to graduate studies, so I still knew a few people that last year.

i was 44 when i got my bachelor's, some of my friends got their PhDs 18 years prior, i got a masters a year later. fortunately i got a job in a place that offers really good retirement options, so i can catch up

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonel_Sanders?wprov=sfla1

Well it took me 15 years (started in ‘89 graduated ‘04) and I’ve been in IT for almost 30 years (there was obviously some overlap). But honestly after your first job, nobody cares.

Look back in ten years and do the figures yourself.

It's not bad unless you want it to be bad. In ten years it'll be nothing.

I spent three years miserable on the mechanical engineering track that was colloquially known as "pre-business" before I ended up with an MIS degree at 23 after a hard pivot and an extra year and change of classes. I'd be hard pressed to say I'm 'happy' today, but the degree has afforded me the ability to live quasi-comfortably on my own.

Suse I'm on my fourth year and don't even have my associates you're fine

Nah, you're fine.

It isn't the worst, but I would evaluate why you need to retake two classes and how it might your life going forward.

I retook 6 classes and finished 2 years late. I'm regarded by my colleagues as a good person to work with and they think I'm good at what I do.

Don't let school define you, some people excel, others don't. Also, working for money is completely different than intrinsically motivating yourself to complete assignments.

I had mental health issues that I probably should have dealt with. If you feel like you're struggling, talk to a counsellor or a therapist, mostly because the college or uni has to listen when they say you're struggling. Also because they can look without judgement and tell you what you might be doing wrong with motivation and study habits. For me, I needed someone to remind me I mattered even if I didn't do well. That's just my 2c worth.

Dude. No. Any day you graduate is a good day. It took me 10 years. Don't stop.