Why can't I find people who took longer to graduate college?

[doetwin]

According to these statistics, most people don't graduate college in 4 years.

www.politifact.com/wisconsin/statements/2013/aug/11/ron-johnson/average-college-degree-takes-six-years-us-sen-ron-/

business.time.com/2013/01/10/the-myth-of-the-4-year-college-degree/

www.nytimes.com/2014/12/02/education/most-college-students-dont-earn-degree-in-4-years-study-finds.html

nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d13/tables/dt13_326.10.asp

Yet almost everyone at my college graduates in 4 years. And no, I don't go to HYP. I go to a mid-tier public state university. My college is as average as you can get. Therefore, the "average students" should be at that college. Also, on facebook, I'll look at random pictures of people in their caps-and-gowns, and they had graduated high school only 4 years previously. What's going on?

[thelongroad]

It took me 7 years for my undergrad. I was working full-time, supporting myself and trying to avoid taking out student loans. It was hard but so worth it.

[So_Fetch]

It took me forever. I graduate from HS in 1995 and from college in 2003. I spent a lot of time having fun in jr. college, but was able to complete university in 2.5 years while working full time. When college was cheap ($11 a unit at junior college!) it wasn't a big deal, but as soon as I was paying more, I buckled down. My last semester included 17 units and an internship, plus working full time. It sucked, but I'm cheap. lol

[polarbearfans]

It too me 6 years.. I changed majors and my general classes were in the wrong categories. All classes were offered once a year and a prerequisite for the next class with only 40 people per class... If you missed it you had to wait until the next year. It wasn't closed off to only people working that major so we were in competition with non-majors taking the fashion classes for fun. My anxiety for scheduling was so bad that the dean of my college (she was my academic advisor) got me the early scheduling window that the athletes had. It was awful. I had to have at least 30 different schedule plans for my window because of how timing of classes and requirements were. Most people with my major took 5 years if they started it on time and didn't transfer their 2nd year like I did.

[CrazyLucky]

I went to a five year school. It's five years because you do 18 months of co-ops. I always wonder how I count in those kinds of studies.

[itsme]

I was not a traditional student and started a little later in life. It took me 5 years working full-time and going to school full-time, to include summers. Half of the time I was a single mom but made the full-time thing work thanks to my parents.

[dragon's breath]

My younger brother just graduated this weekend, going to school off and on since high school (he's 32). At his graduation, there was a speaker (president?) who had a daughter graduating that day, along with his father. His father started going to college in 1960. Took him 40 years, but he finally got his degree!

I think being an older student tends to lead to longer times getting the degrees, since many are juggling work, families, and finances.

[doetwin]

Isn't there anyone who took longer than 4 years that had a normal college experience?

[Deleted]

Often people who change their major have to take an extra semester or two because the degree requirements might be different.

[boxertdog]

I graduated at 25 and am back in school again at 40. I've never been to a graduation ceremony. I just don't care and neither do my parents / family. 

[VillainV]

My school required people to graduate in 4 years. People with some kind of extenuating circumstance (health, family challenge, financial issue) could apply to take longer. I took an extra semester due to being in ROTC. From what I understand, anyone with a legitimate reason was approved. But indecision over a major or wanting to take a lighter course load generally wasn’t a good enough reason, on its own, to be approved for longer.