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Graduating in four years is not common anymore
By Jen Humphrey Special to the Kansan
Eight years after beginning her academic career, Ginger Thasuda is finally a junior. With a divorce behind her, two children and financial aid problems complicating her education, the 25-year-old Lawrence sophomore hopes she can continue to attend classes full-time until she graduates.
"With day care and the money involved and work, it's hard to focus attention on school," she said.
Often, plans for graduation get sidelined by a student's sophomore year.
If students reach their junior year undecided or have changed their majors, they have to catch up on missed classes.
"I would say a good 75 percent of incoming freshmen haven't chosen a major yet," said Kathleen Hall, director of the Advising Support Center, 4017 Wescoe Hall. "During the sophomore year, it has an impact on the classes they choose to select."
Thasuda is one of the many students who find that graduating after four years is not possible. In the past 12 years, less than 26 percent of incoming KU freshmen have graduated in four years, according to Office of Institutional Research and Planning records.
Sometimes students even change their major their fourth year. This is rare, and Hall said the center usually advised
against such a change by showing students how many additional hours it would take to graduate.
"A lot of times, just seeing how long it will take is enough to change their minds," Hall said.
Matt Gunnin changed his major his fourth year, and it will now take him seven years to graduate. The St. Louis senior, who will have completed 176 credit hours at the end of this semester, changed his major from voice to theater three years ago.
"I changed majors because I didn't want to be an opera singer," Gunnin said.
Sticking around a little longer
Andy Rohrback/KANBAN
May 1996 The Hill
Graduation 18