Remember that your education is an investment in yourself and your future career. Extending your college experience to get an extra degree or to study in another location might be worth the extra costs. BUT, having to pay for tuition, room and board, books, activity fees and all of the other expenses that go along with additional semesters, is another story.

Sometimes it’s worth putting the numbers out there and letting it sink in. Suppose your tuition is around $16,000 a year. That means you are looking at least $96,000 in tuition alone on the six-year plan, versus $64,000 if you were to graduate in four years. That assumes your tuition does not increase (which it probably will), and does not factor in the myriad of other expenses you incur in school.

So how can you prevent this from happening? Do your due diligence and stay on top of your graduation requirements. Even with a college major change and a transfer, I was able to graduate only one semester late by working with my advisors and always knowing how many requirements I had left. In my last semester at my original school, I made a point to take classes that I knew my future school would accept for their full credits. I also tried to pick classes that might satisfy more than one requirement, such as a class that met both the social sciences requirement and counted toward my major. I also took summer and night classes if I couldn’t get into required classes offered at traditional times.

Some tips to help you graduate in four years:

1. Stay ahead of the curve and really think about your school choice to avoid having to transfer.

2. Don’t declare a major right away.

3. Work on your core requirements so you don’t waste time on classes in a major you end up not interested in.

4. Stay on top of your high school studies now so you score well on AP exams and have credits in your pocket before you even set foot on campus.

Of course, sometimes circumstances arise and life doesn’t work out as planned, but with some foresight you can avoid being in school longer than necessary.

However, Mr. Mathews argues that transferring to another college is part of the maturation process, “trying something and seeing if it works, then moving on if it doesn’t.”

So, what do others have to say about transferring? Read real life examples from those who transferred colleges and the situations they encountered.

But before you make a decision just to end the tiresome college research, let’s look at the implications of transferring:

• Time.  In college, the academic challenges will likely be greater than high school, and you won’t have as many papers and tests that count toward your final grade. The majority of your time will be spent studying; you’ll have few opportunities to research, visit, and apply to other colleges.

• Costs. Next, there are the applications costs. (Remember those?) Then, there may be costs to re-take courses at your new school—with new books—because course credits do not always transfer from one school to another. Finally, re-taking courses and meeting new graduation requirements may mean it could take five or six years to earn a degree, adding more to your overall cost of tuition.

• Freshman, again. Remember, when you transfer, you will be starting all over again making new friends. Only now you’ll be doing it as a sophomore—alongside sophomores who started their freshmen year together and have “settled in” with their own niche of friends. Bottom line: it could take more effort on your part to make new friends.

Still want to push aside your college research? Consider this statistic: students who transfer after their first year of college, less than 40% stay on track to finish their bachelor’s degree. Less than 40%!

College research may be a great stress now, but take your time while you’re still in high school and find the colleges that fit all of you: your personality, interests, preferences, learning style, as well as your grades. Time spend now can result in a rewarding college experience, and a degree later.