Take full advantage of any advanced placement courses or early college opportunities your high school offers. This will allow you to start college with credits already under your belt.
Identify a major that interests you early on in your college career and stick with it. If you elect to change your major, you run the risk of having to take more courses, which may delay your graduation.
Take 15 to 19 credit hours every semester. Most college degrees require 120 to 125 credit hours. This equals about 15 credit hours every semester over four years. If you wish to graduate early, you should plan to take 18 hours every semesters as well as enroll in one or two summer courses each summer.
Meet with your academic advisor regularly to discuss what classes you need to graduate and to make sure you are on track for your target graduation date. Your advisor will play a key role in making sure you are taking the right classes required by your major.
Hold off on excessive elective courses in order to fulfill the required classes for your major first.