Having a full college experience is something that many students long for, and it’s easy to get caught up in exactly which school will provide the best one. Who has the best cafeteria? The coolest sports teams? The right programs?

But what if I told you that having a full college experience can go far beyond these things?

As someone who has taken both traditional and nontraditional paths through college, I have found one thing to be true: it’s what you choose to do with your time that really matters. If you’re purposeful with your time, you can craft a perfect college experience no matter where you end up going (or what the food is like). But only if you’re willing to rethink the “college experience” a bit.

Here are six ways to do that.

1. Know Before You Go

I’ve had countless conversations with college students who tell me, “I’m not exactly sure what I want to do or what to major in.” Turns out they went to college not because they had a plan, but because it was the traditional “next step.” These students often end up frustrated because they’re spending time and money on something they’re unsure of.

If you’re in this boat, I would encourage you towards one of two things:

1. Consider taking your Gen Eds in a unique way. Taking your Gen Eds online or through a local community college gives you the chance to stay up to speed with school while also lowering the cost of classes. It also gives you more time to consider what major you would like to go into. Try some classes that interest you and see if something sticks.

This option will hopefully buy you some time and save you some money. That way, when it comes time to enroll in college, you can declare a major with confidence knowing that the rest of your time and money will be spent efficiently.

One important thing to keep in mind—if you choose this method, you should immediately seek the counsel of an academic advisor. Transferring credits between colleges can be tricky business (and if not done carefully, it will likely leave you spending more on your degree in the long run). Consider utilizing a program like Accelerated Pathways that allows you to take these classes online at an affordable price and offers excellent academic guidance, so you can guarantee that the classes you’re taking will transfer to the school of your choice.

2. Take a gap year (or two, or three), and use that time to discover more about what you like. A great way to do this is by applying for internships, getting a job, or volunteering with organizations that interest you.

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with going to college “late.” Hands-on experience is irreplaceable, and will quickly reveal whether or not you truly enjoy whatever field of work you’re considering. After a year or more of hands-on learning, you’ll have a greater understanding of what you should pursue in college (if anything).

Don’t go to college just because it’s supposed to be the next step. Go because you have a purpose for being there.

2. You Can Pick Your Pace

College is generally thought to take place in the four years after high school. While this may be the suggested and average timeframe, you don’t have to stay within those borders. Your story is unique, and how you go about the college experience is allowed to be different than my journey or your classmate’s. If your goal is to graduate in two years and then get a job or travel the world or start a family, you have the potential to make that happen. If you have responsibilities you can’t sacrifice, you can take classes at a slower pace. You can take gap years and start college later in life, once you know why you’re going. You can go to college for the traditional four years. You can start college, take a break, and then go back.

The list goes on and on.

The point is, you don’t have to squeeze yourself into a box of stereotypes.

Life looks different for each person, which means that each person will run at a different pace. You have the ability to run at your pace and not someone else’s.

3. Don’t Pause Your Priorities

Once you understand that you can pick your pace for going through college, it becomes easier to see that you don’t have to put other priorities on hold.

Yes, it is possible to have a life outside of college!

Having a full “college experience” can be so much more than just sitting through lectures, and keeping up with homework doesn’t have to be your top priority all the time. Why not fill your college experience with life experience too?

Your college years should leave room for you to maintain a job or be with family. Or you can prioritize travel. Just imagine, the world now becomes your campus! You can start building your business, designing your website, or putting more energy into a hobby that you value.

Focusing only on college leads to tunnel vision—there is much to learn both in and out of the classroom. While tunnel vision during your college years isn’t the end of the world, it will block you from engaging fully with the world. It may lead you to pass by opportunities to learn about people and cultures outside of your college campus or push off learning that one thing you always wanted to try. Academics is just one way of learning. Keep a broad gaze and an open mind.

The college experience should not pause the rest of your life. If it does, I would encourage you to take a step back and evaluate if you’re truly getting the college experience you desire.

4. Every Moment Counts

Another way to rethink college is to rethink the time you’re technically not in school. Evaluate the long breaks—primarily your winter break and summer break. If you’re looking to get ahead or gain more experience, these two breaks are great opportunities to knock out some extra classes, apply for an internship, or get a job.

For me, I used one summer to take two classes through Accelerated Pathways. These classes helped me get ahead, which then allowed me to graduate with an associate degree in three semesters, which gave me the liberty to accept a job working with a nonprofit organization, which is what I’ve always wanted to do.

Do you see the domino effect? While taking two classes over the summer doesn’t sound like much, it was that simple action that propelled me forward to reach my desired destination.

It’s about making purposeful actions with the time you’re given. Set goals for your life beyond college, and use these breaks to work towards them. Maybe that means taking classes to graduate early. Or you may intern for an organization that connects you with the people who offer you your first job. Or maybe you save a little extra from working during one break so that you can spend another break traveling. Whatever it is, be aware of the time that you have and use it to it’s fullest potential.

5. You Don’t Have to Drown in Debt

With the skyrocketing price of college these days, debt appears to be inevitable. But this doesn’t have to be the case! There are ways for you to save money and make money that will set you on a path toward debt-free college.

One of the best ways I’ve found to come out of college debt free is to take affordable transfer classes, like the ones I took through Accelerated Pathways. By finding flexible classes that fit into my degree, I was able to save thousands of dollars.

You can also save money by becoming an R.A (Resident Assistant). An R.A. is a leader of a hall in a dorm who usually gets reduced or free housing. Or consider saving money on housing by living in an apartment off campus so that the cost is split between more people, or better yet, with your parents. (Free rent!)

Saving money is a helpful step towards coming out of college debt free, but making money is equally beneficial. Both serve as action steps towards offsetting the cost of college. A great way to make money while at college is to apply for jobs on campus. That way you’re not inconvenienced by paying for transportation to get to your job.

Coming out of college debt free may also mean putting college on hold for a year or two. Working to purposefully save for college is not something that should be looked down upon. In fact, this may be a wise option for you to consider. It is much better to put college on hold if it means graduating unshackled by debt.

Debt is something that will affect your life for years after college. But graduating debt free isn’t impossible. That’s why having a debt-free mindset is so important. Once you know it’s an option, you can better strategize the action steps necessary to place yourself on the debt-free path.

6. Independence Doesn’t Mean Irresponsibility

One thing that many students look forward to as they enter college is that sweet sweet freedom. Staying out late, partying, eating whatever and whenever… but I quickly found that independence does not mean irresponsibility. In fact, quite the opposite.

Because you have more control over your class schedule than you did in high school, you also have more control over how you use your time. What you do with this time will either impact your college experience for the better or for the worse.

While it seemed fun to push off my studies for as long as possible and stay up super late, I found that these decisions left me stressed and tired. In my pursuit of freedom, I trapped myself in an unhealthy (and disappointing) lifestyle. So, I decided to break some of these bad habits. I went to bed earlier. I purposefully structured time to do homework instead of leaving it to the last minute.

When I chose to be responsible with my independence, I found that I actually had more time to hang out with friends or enjoy hobbies. I had more energy and was less stressed.

I would encourage any students entering college to rethink independence. Be purposeful with your time. Start building healthy habits now.

It can be easy to think, “Well there’s no way that I could come out of college debt free” or “Traveling while doing college sounds nice, but that’s really just a pipe dream.”

That’s just not true, and thinking that way will hinder you from taking any action at all. You can take a gap year, take classes online, or spend all four years on campus if you want. Everyone’s different, and we all learn in different ways. Whatever your college experience looks like, I would encourage one thing—be purposeful with the time you have.

Having and partaking in a bigger college experience is something that you can choose, but you have to choose it.

Interested in creating your perfect college experience while graduating debt free? Join the community of students who say “no” to debt and make the world their campus.

read more

For as long as I can remember, I have known what I want to be when I “grow up.” My passion has always been to communicate. I love to write—anything from a simple children’s story to a poem with profound meaning to practical nonfiction pieces. I love to speak and dream about one day traveling and speaking at conferences. I have also always had a heart for mission work, and I desire that my passions be utilized within ministry.

So when it came time to decide about college, it seemed quite logical to continue my education by pursuing a communications degree. While this decision seemed logical, it wasn’t entirely desirable.

See, I have always been a hands-on learner. While I have done well in the classroom, I prefer to learn through real-life experience. That’s why continuing education in the classroom never fully appealed to me. But coming out of high school, I wasn’t aware of any opportunities to obtain the hands-on experience I desired. On top of that, I had won a full-tuition scholarship to the top school I was considering. So, hesitantly, I chose college.

But, my questions and doubts about college carried on through my freshman year.

Is attending a four-year college the best path for me?

Can college give me the type of experiential learning that I desire?

Could there be another way?

Then, one night, I was watching a YouTube video about a couple who live in a van, and they mentioned that they both did college “differently.” Perhaps, this was my answer! Perhaps, there was another way! I remember reading about Accelerated Pathways and feeling as though I had found a diamond in the rough. I could create a plan that would allow me to take college courses at my own pace, with the world as my campus, and without going into debt!

“But, wait,” I thought.

“I already have a full-tuition scholarship. Is it really worth it to give that up and start paying for a different form of education?”

This question led me to analyze the situation further. Maybe I couldn’t use Accelerated Pathways to its fullest. But it could still help me. By taking a couple classes over the summer through Accelerated Pathways, I would be able to graduate early and still keep my scholarship. So, I did just that.

I went back to college my second year knowing that by the end of the semester I would have enough credits to be a standing junior. My timeline for graduation was set. My classes were all lined up. I was ahead of the game, yet I still didn’t feel settled. Part of me still desired to learn by actively using my giftings, not just taking classes. And while I was advancing through education more quickly now, I still questioned if there could be a different way to learn—outside of the classroom setting. The same issue remained. Perhaps, the solution was not in how quickly I learned but how I learned.

As I continued to wrestle with these questions, I waited for the right opportunity. I opened my mind fully to the possibility that staying at school might not be the best choice for me right now. I started talking to a ministry back home that I had been involved with for two years. Through these conversations, the opportunity to step into full-time ministry with them opened. This would allow me to practice all my giftings and engage with my passions on a daily basis. I would have the opportunity to write, to speak, to perform spoken word poetry, and to travel.

Taking hold of this opportunity would require me to step out of school. Stepping out of school also meant giving up my scholarship. It also meant not earning my degree. So, I had a big decision to make.

I started to look at the number of credits I had acquired through school and through Accelerated Pathways and found that I did have enough credits to graduate in December. I would just be graduating with an associate degree instead of my intended bachelor’s.

This option was only possible because of the classes I had taken through Accelerated Pathways over the summer. Rather than just pulling out of school, I would be able to finish my degree, even if it wasn’t the one I originally signed up for. Being able to graduate with an associate would make it easier for me to go back to school in the future. It gave me peace of mind. I had closure, knowing that I didn’t waste my time or resources. I could step confidently into the next chapter of my life.

Two paths had been set before me. Neither was necessarily right or wrong. At the end of the day, I had to decide which way I learn best. While stepping away from the “four-year college experience” may seem like a big risk, and letting go of a large scholarship seems even riskier, the opportunity to gain hands-on experience and learn directly in the field that I want to continue in is something I could not pass down.

While I didn’t use Accelerated Pathways to get a bachelor’s degree (yet 😉), it has helped me walk the path I feel called to right now. It has opened up the chance to learn in a way that fits me, to trade my scholarship and the comfort of doing things the “normal” way for life experience and a life that is truly free.

I do not take such freedom for granted.

Click here to learn more about how we can help you reach your goals here at Pearson.

read more