Lower College Costs--Take More Classes

Fay Vincent, in a short and sweet WSJ article, Tuition Solution: A Three-Year Degree, describes how universities and students can work together to graduate in 75 percent of the time, incurring only 75 percent of the tuition.

Steve Pavlina, in his blog, describes pushing even harder, graduating in only three semesters by taking 30 to 40 units per semester. Now that's time management!

However, one does not need to have superhuman abilities to pass a lot of classes in a semester. Please read the Pavlina blog. Additionally, a student I know very well compiled the following record in his last two years at a prestigious military college:

• Fall 2010: Passed 23 units out of 26 attempted
• Spring 2011: Passed 27 units out of 30 attempted
• Summer 2011: Passed 9 units out of 9 attempted (online classes at alma mater and actual classes at University of California, Berkeley)
• Fall 11: Passed 29 units out of 29 attempted (finishing all classwork)
• Spring 12: Passed 12 units out of 12 attempted (student teaching)

This motivated young man wanted to double-major and just got better and better at managing his time. He gave up unnecessary activities and distractions (like Facebook) and graduated with honors. You can do it too.