Why did it take Palin so long to complete her degree?

Question

What was she doing in the interim?

"Palin attended Hawaii Pacific College in Hilo, Hawaii, in 1982 for a semester, where she majored in Business Administration, and transferred in 1983 to North Idaho College.[10] In 1987,[11] Palin received a Bachelor of Science degree in communications-journalism from the University of Idaho, where she also minored in political science.[12][13][14] P"

Answer 1

It doesn't matter if she took 10 years. She got the job anyway. Get over it!

Answer 2

Well, although I am not a supportor of Governor Palin, this is not really a long time to complete her degree.  So what, she did an extra semester?  Big deal.  It's about average to take 4 years to get a bachelor's.  So regardless of how long it took her, it doesn't matter.  One extra semester at a different university at a different state is not a big deal.

Answer 3

Maybe she was busy hunting and eating Moose, and mounting Moose heads on her wall.

Answer 4

Some of the greatest leaders in the history of the world never set foot on a college campus. Leaders come from all walks of life.

I really dont care what degree someone has.

5 years 10 years whats it matter?

Answer 5

Her father was a teacher.  Her mother was a school secretary.  She didn't grow up in a rich family, she didn't have a trust fund, she didn't have automatic acceptance at some Ivy school where there was a building named after her great-great-grandfather.

She went to college OUTSIDE of her home state, so she's got to pay out-of-state tuition and fees.  I bet she probably did have to work to help pay for her education.  And if it took her an extra semester or an extra year ..... so what?  

Joe Biden was caught plagiarizing on some of his college exams or some major project.  I don't remember the details now, but this was why he dropped out of the 1988 presidential race.  Shouldn't that concern you more than Sarah Palin needing a little extra time?

Frankly, I'm not too terribly worried about what the candidates did in college.  Most of us are terminally stupid between the ages of 18 and 22 or 23, so I figure they're entitled to have made some mistakes and should get a pass on most of them.

Answer 6

I'd say the change in major effected the time line.  

Answer 7

Hardly "long"--she finished in 5 years. The national average is 7. So there's nothing unsual about her taking that long.  As to what she was doing "in the interim?" She switched majors and moved from Hawaii to Idaho.  That's enough to make anyone need an extra semester or two.

I don't like Palin--but don't invent "issues" that don't exist. There's more than enough in her record and positions that genuinely warrants criticism.

Answer 8

Its not the amount of time of time it took her to get her degree. A bachelors degree only takes 4 years. What troubles me is the fact that she has a degree in communications-journalism. Her lack of education, and experience frightens me.  

Answer 9

Her mind wasn't on it.

She just fell into place to be where she is 'cause she has charm.

She's so much more inexperienced and a celebrity than Obama.

In 1984, Palin won the Miss Wasilla beauty contest,

Then went on to be a sports reporter.

(Meanwhile Obama graduated with honors from Harvard)

Yeah she's ready to be a step away from being the President of the United States of America. HA!

Answer 10

Okay, I'm not a Palin fan myself, but come on. Not everyone completes their education in the standard 4 years for various reasons. I know personally it's taking me a lot longer because I'm working a full-time job, don't have parents who can afford to support me, and don't have student loans. There's a ton of reasons to get on her case; taking more time than the norm to finish college is not one of them.  

Answer 11

Wow - I mean that is sooo scandalous!

Is that the only smear tactic you can come up with?

She's beautiful, intelligent, and is going to be the next V.P. so deal with it.

Answer 12

your guys have nothing------NOTHING----smears will not sway us.

McCain/Palin'08

Answer 13

5 years is "so long" for a BS?

"At many schools, often large universities, there are many distributive requirements needed for graduation that students aren't able to fulfill," Schneider says. Often at the root of this is class oversaturation, she adds. "Classes get filled to the max and students have to wait to enroll--sometimes for even another cycle. Many courses don't have enough classes scheduled, or enough professors to go around."

http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/department...

Answer 14

It took me 5 years to get my degree. I never thought it was a big deal that it took me an extra year. I was just working 60-80 hours a week including weekends to get myself through college.  

Answer 15

Why did Al Gore dropout of college?

Answer 16

That is only five years. That is about the average time students take to go through college.

Answer 17

What's the problem?  Perhaps she was also working and supporting herself.  THere are many reasons to not finish in 4 years - I've heard the average is 5 years.  

Let's not nitpick over a candidate's education - after all, Al Gore FAILED in college and had a lower GPA than Mr Bush.  

I know nothing about Mrs Palin, but get tired of hearing partisan nitpicking.  

Answer 18

Perhaps she worked to but herself through college.  Not everyone's parents pay for their schooling (including mine).  That's the reason it took me so long to finish my Bachelor's.  I was on my own.