“˜Super senior’ five-year plan not a bad thing

By Shane M. Nelson
DAILY BRUIN CONTRIBUTOR
[email protected]

 

When Charles Lee started UCLA in fall 1998, he thought he would
graduate in four years. That’s what he thought everyone else
did, but he was wrong on both accounts. He won’t be walking
the red carpet this year ““ but neither will half his incoming
class.

Only about half of incoming freshmen who graduate with a
bachelor’s degree from the College of Letters & Science
do so within four years, according to statistics for fall 1981-2001
from the Office of Academic Planning and Budget.

Fifth-year seniors, also known as “super seniors,”
present an enrollment problem for the university with respect to
Tidal Wave II, the anticipated influx of about 4,000 additional
students to UCLA in the next 10 years.

“The fifth-year phenomena is not anything new,” said
William Parham, associate director of clinical services at Student
Psychological Services.

Uncertain economic times, students working more to support
themselves, and a larger amount of students entering college with
intrapersonal and interpersonal problems contribute to increased
stress and tension that can delay graduation time, Parham
continued.

Not all students walking in the commencement ceremony this year,
four years after entering UCLA, have completed all of their
necessary classes. Some will have to take additional classes this
summer.

Fourth-year biology and anthropology student Denise Lin is
walking in the College of Letters & Science graduation ceremony
this week, despite the need to complete a few more classes this
summer and next fall, she said.

“I wish I had taken summer school because I would have
graduated faster,” she said.

About 60 percent of UCLA students enroll in a summer session at
least once, according to the Office of Academic Planning and
Budget.

Other students prepared by entering with advanced placement and
community college units.

More students are arriving at the university with AP units from
high school than in the past”“ the average student enters with
16 AP units, said Letters & Science counselor Cathy
Behrens.

Fourth-year economics student Diana Li entered UCLA with 46
lower division units, granting her sophomore standing. While most
of her incoming units satisfied general education requirements, few
counted toward her major, she said.

Even with the extra effort in high school, she still had to take
a lot of classes ““ sometimes 17 units per quarter ““ to
graduate on time, she said.

However, Behrens said she doesn’t see the fifth-year
phenomena as a problem. They can graduate as early as three years
or as late as five because of AP credit. It doesn’t figure in
to the unit cap of 216 units, she said.

Students are also sticking around more than four years because
the university offers more majors, minors, specializations and
classes now that entice students to stay longer, she said.

Many students agree.

Lee, a fourth-year psychology student, could have graduated in
four years had he not taken a quarter’s worth of classes in
philosophy prior to switching to the sociology major, he said.

But that doesn’t matter because he wanted to take five
years to graduate.

“I like being a student,” Lee said. “I like
having more time for academic exploration.”

This quarter, he audited some classes, sitting in with
instructor’s approval, without receiving credit so that he
wouldn’t surpass the enrollment cap for double majors.

He plans to do it again this summer, he said.

Fourth-year psychology student Rebecca DeMos concurred.

“I have been on the five-year plan all along … I
didn’t see a point in rushing it,” she said.

She never took more than three classes per quarter or summer
school and changed her major three times, which all contributed to
a later graduation date, she said.

Lin also will be at UCLA for at least two more quarters because
of her increased interest in more than one major. She could have
graduated this year but since she plans to add the anthropology
major after she walks this week, she will be taking classes at UCLA
through winter quarter, she said.

“I am really happy with both majors, which gives me a
little bit of North and South Campus,” she said.

Lee and DeMos are not the only students who have changed their
majors. The average UCLA student changes two to three times, said
Orientation Director Roxanne Neal.

That statistic may be a little high depending on whether
students changed their major in their minds or in Admissions and
Records, said Office of Analysis and Information management
director Caroline West.

Changing a major probably has little to do with staying longer
anyway, Behrens added.

“Students are enjoying their time here and we want to
encourage that,” she said.