Most students enter college with the intent of graduating in four years. However, a growing number of students are taking six years to don the cap and gown. There are any number of reasons why that is so, say students and educators. Diane Hall, the director of high school and community college relations at Florida A&M University's School of Journalism and Graphic Communication, thinks it's the circumstances before them. She says some students take on more internships while in school, hoping the experience will give them an edge when they finally enter the work force. Others, she says, are forced to abandon school for periods of time while dealing with family and financial matters. For many students, early academic missteps can haunt them for the rest of their collegiate careers. And another problem may come when students who rely on federal loans use up their delegated amounts before completing their degrees and must pay for classes out of pocket, which often means sitting out until they can earn enough money to continue their education. After discussing these issues, the article presents the stories of two students who took longer than anticipated to finish school.