Maybe It’s Not May, But Here Are 6 Perks to Graduating During the Fall Semester

By Amelia Woolard

Close your eyes and imagine the typical graduation ceremony – the one you’ve always dreamed of. If you’re like us, then there are probably a few particular things that come to mind, like a beautiful and sunny spring day, an extra crowded ceremony with attendees coming from every corner of the nation, and all of your professors proudly seated in the first few rows.

Despite the popular notion of graduating college in the spring, there are actually tons of students who become newly minted grads in the fall – whether their reasons are intentional, like working extra hard to graduate one semester early, or unintentional, like stalling their graduation date to handle other life matters.  In fact, thousands of college grads receive their diplomas just before the winter holidays – yet, for some reason, fall graduation doesn’t seem to get nearly as much attention as its springtime counterpart, even though you’ll still convene with your peers, professors, and loved ones to celebrate—just on a smaller scale.

For that reason, you might feel a bit self-conscious – or even embarrassed – about the fact that you’re graduating in the middle of the academic year, instead of in May or June. However, your friends at uCribs are here to remind you that there are plenty of reasons why graduating in December is just as awesome – if not more so! – than graduating alongside everyone else in the spring. Need proof? Here are six killer perks to graduating in the fall semester.

You can get a head start on job applications.

Ask any recent grad you know, and they’ll likely tell you that time is of the essence when it comes to applying for your first, just-out-of-college job. Aside from curating an appropriate selection of references and crafting your first professional resume, locating potential employers, applying to open positions, and scheduling interviews can be very time-consuming. You’ll be thanking your lucky stars when you realize that you have a few extra months to lay the groundwork for your job search before your peers even walk across that graduation stage. You never know – you might even land an incredible opportunity while your pals are still studying for their spring midterms!

You can sit back and relax before grad school resumes in the fall.

If you’re continuing your education by heading off to grad school, graduating in the fall means that you’ll probably have a generous break ahead of you – one that could easily span over six months, if your grad program starts next autumn. What better time to take a step back from the academic space before you’re once again up to your ears in obligations? Whether you choose to spend time with family and friends or fill your days with internship, career, or travel opportunities, finishing your undergraduate degree ahead of everyone else in your class will allow you to have plenty of “you time” before you hit the books once again, come August or September.

You can take the necessary time to figure out what’s next.

Still unsure where life will take you after graduation? No worries! Considering that your typical college student is busy 24/7, it’s completely understandable if you were one of those very students, who focused solely on completing your program without giving much thought to your post-grad plans. Luckily, you’ll have plenty of opportunity to mull over your personal and professional aspirations upon graduating in the fall. Whether you eventually decide to go back to school or jump head-first into the professional world, you can bet that taking some time to volunteer, assuming an internship or apprenticeship role, or researching intriguing career possibilities more in-depth will give you a clearer idea of your future. Best of all, you won’t have to juggle coursework and extracurriculars on top of these intense, soul-searching sessions.

You can save money by cutting your four years short.

It’s no secret that college is expensive. From the cost of books and tuition to paying rent on your off-campus apartment, it’s easy to see why the average borrower owes over 35,000 dollars in student loans. So, it would be extremely money-savvy of you to reduce your time spent in school. With typical tuition starting at around $5,000 per semester at an in-state, four-year university, and only increasing if you attend an out-of-state or private college, you can spare yourself a few thousand bucks by graduating earlier than the given curriculum trajectory. Trust us on this one… from a financial standpoint, you’ll be happy that you graduated early once the party’s over—and by “party,” we mean college, of course.

…Or, allow yourself extra time to meet your required college credits.

Hey, there’s nothing wrong with graduating after your peers. Because it’s more common for students to transfer universities during their academic career, press pause on school in lieu of career opportunities, or simply take a break for personal needs, the once-potent stigma surrounding a delayed graduation date is lessening by the semester. So, if you find yourself graduating a semester after your peers or are considering your options in taking this route, you should know that there’s no wrong way to earn your degree, despite what anyone may try to tell you. (Yes, there are plenty of people, who have returned to college after taking a break!) At the end of the day, it’s all about doing what makes the most sense for you – traditional graduation timelines be darned!

Your expedited graduation date will likely impress future employers.

Planning on graduating early? Go ahead and carve out a place to highlight this accomplishment on your growing professional resume. While there’s no guarantee that finishing up with college a few months ahead of your peers will secure your dream job, speeding up the graduation process may indicate to a future employer or grad school admissions counselor that you have a firm grasp on how you manage your time and responsibilities. Considering that a key component of being an awesome employee or graduate student involves meeting deadlines, just imagine how favorably someone looking at your resume will view the fact that you finished your college career ahead of schedule.

Sure, you might be a little bummed that your college career has led you to a mid-year graduation, instead of a traditional one in the springtime, but fall graduation isn’t all that bad. From granting yourself extra time to sort out your priorities to enjoying a luxurious, extended break before your graduate program begins, there are plenty of silver linings to a fall graduation date. Admit it: your mid-year commencement ceremony is looking better already!

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