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How to Graduate on Time - College Info Geek
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How to Graduate on Time - College Info Geek

Graduation Planning: How to Graduate on Time

Overview of Graduation Statistics

  • The video begins with a discussion about graduation rates, highlighting that only 59% of students who started college in 2006 graduated within six years.
  • A study from College Complete America reveals that only 19-36% of students graduate within four years, depending on the type of institution.

Factors Affecting Graduation Rates

  • Financial issues are identified as a major barrier to timely graduation, alongside other factors such as changing majors and personal distractions (e.g., Netflix).
  • Poor planning is emphasized as one of the most common and avoidable reasons for not graduating on time.

Personal Planning Strategy

  • The speaker shares their own approach to planning for graduation, emphasizing personal responsibility over relying solely on academic advisors.
  • They recommend reviewing all graduation requirements each semester, including general education and major-specific requirements.

Creating a Graduation Plan

  • The speaker created an Excel spreadsheet detailing their entire graduation plan, tracking every class intended to take along with credit requirements.
  • A downloadable version of this plan is available in the companion blog post linked in the video description.

Utilizing Degree Audits

  • The concept of a Degree Audit is introduced as a tool to track progress through required classes; it can reveal unexpected advantages when switching majors.
  • Regularly running Degree Audits helps ensure students stay on track and adjust plans based on new interests or course availability.

Importance of Timely Class Registration

  • Signing up for classes promptly is crucial; delays can lead to missing out on required courses or electives due to full classes.
  • Setting reminders for registration dates can help mitigate these risks and keep students on schedule for graduation.

Alternative Options for Required Classes

  • If faced with full classes, testing out using CLEP tests or similar methods is suggested as an alternative way to fulfill requirements.

Conclusion and Additional Resources

  • The speaker encourages viewers to download their Excel spreadsheet template from the blog post linked in the description.
  • Viewers are informed about upcoming content and encouraged to follow them on Twitter for updates.

Free Resources for Improving Grades

Accessing Free Educational Materials

  • The speaker offers a free book focused on improving grades and studying less, encouraging viewers to click on the image of the book to receive a copy.
  • Viewers can find links to various resources mentioned in the video, including an Excel template, by visiting the companion blog post linked through an orange logo.
  • A reminder is given about last week's video, with a clip playing in the background, prompting viewers to check it out if they missed it.
  • The speaker invites audience interaction by suggesting that viewers connect or propose ideas for new videos via Twitter.
Video description

Of all the reasons students fail to graduate on time, poor planning is probably the most easily avoided. So let's avoid it by using graduation plans, degree audit systems, and other things. My book "10 Steps to Earning Awesome Grades" is now out and it's free! Get it here (and get a copy of my graduation planning spreadsheet as well): http://collegeinfogeek.com/get-better-grades/ If you want to get even more strategies and tips on becoming a more productive, successful student, subscribe to my channel right here: http://buff.ly/1vQP5ar Connect with me on Twitter! https://twitter.com/TomFrankly Companion blog post with notes and resource links: http://collegeinfogeek.com/graduate-on-time/ Here's my interview with Jay Cross: http://collegeinfogeek.com/jay-cross/ ~ created by Thomas Frank