Freshman, Sophomore, Junior and Senior Explained A college career for an undergrad student is often classified into four academic levels referred to as freshman, sophomore, junior and senior. These distinctive student categories are based on the current stage of the student and the sum of credit hours earned towards the degree. A bachelor’s degree is more often than not meant to be completed in a 4-year course if you're a full-time student, which is a student that takes the minimum of credits required by the college. Most colleges suggest taking 15 credits each semester in order to graduate in four years. In any case, many students study part-time whereas others exceed the number of credit hours expected and they graduate in less than four years. When this takes place, the student classification is different from the expected “four years” which is why the level of the student is decided by the number of credits taken. Not everybody opts for the ordinary 4-year program due to a ran...