Sometimes it's just not the best idea to finish your undergraduate degree in four years. You might need more time.

Whether it's because you want to take an extra credential or major, do a co-op or work placement, travel or study abroad, or you just need to slow down the pace, extending the length of your degree is a serious but viable option.

It can even make your degree stronger if you plan it effectively and use the opportunity to your advantage.

Here are four reasons you might want to extend your degree, and how you can use them to position yourself better after that degree is done.

Extra major

Completing a double major or adding a credential to your degree can make you more appealing on the job market. If you like languages, you may be able to combine it with business studies for a degree tailored to international business. If you like music, history or sociology, combining these with an education degree opens doors to be a music or social studies teacher.

Double majors and extra credentials show employers and grad schools that you are driven and motivated. And pragmatic combinations position you well for competitive fields.

Co-ops, internships and volunteering

Many of us finish our degrees with the classic problem: lots of education but no experience. But how do you get experience in the first place? You get it during your education as a part of your degree!

Co-ops, internships and volunteering are becoming an increasingly valuable addition to many undergraduate degrees. Some offer you the opportunity to earn while you learn, but each helps build contacts and network in your chosen career. Or you can just use them to give a career option you may be interested in a trial run.

If you choose this path, by the time you finish, you'll already have practical skills, a stronger résumé and important references.

Travel

Taking time to travel is one of the most valuable experiences in life. Extensive experiences abroad show employers you are adaptable, proactive and confident. But travel is often expensive and time consuming.

Study abroad programs and international internships offer another chance to live in another country, experience another culture, and gain a sensitivity to international issues and global concerns. They may last the summer, a semester or an entire year abroad. Some even allow you to count courses toward your degree.

But if you continue to take courses while living abroad, they may not all transfer back to your home institution. Always plan foreign study with an academic advisor.

Personal reasons

The transition to university can be a difficult one, especially for students studying in a new city or province. And the pace of courses in your program might be more than you expected. It's OK to slow down. Many of us also have to earn an income while going to school. Undertaking a full course load at the same time might seem like a necessity in order to finish, but it could do real harm if your grades suffer, or if you fail classes. Repeating them only takes more time and money.

Be sure to look into summer courses, which you may be able to use as prerequisites for other classes, or as required elements for your degree.

It is important to plan ahead, since extending your degree can be costly and confusing. Some programs require that students follow a set plan, and many courses have prerequisites that aren't offered every semester. Make sure to weigh the benefits and consequences of remaining longer at university.

Will you be able to pay for that extra year or semester? Do you want added student loans? Sometimes the answer is yes, but before making any decision, discuss your goals and options with a counsellor or your department adviser.

Even when the economy is not recovering from a recession, getting an entry-level job can be a daunting task for many new grads and it has become increasingly important to get a head start on your career while you're still a student.

Here, I share some of my own personal stories as a student trying to gain experience, what makes successful students and professionals, and the steps someone in university should take to overcome competition and start their careers off the right way!

I still remember my first university lecture. I was both nervous and excited, and I didn't have a clue as to how or where I would end up four years later.

The professor congratulated us for making it that far, but told us to look to our left and to our right because one of those people would not make it to graduation with the rest of us. Although cliché, that line still resonates with me because it introduced me to the concept of competition in university: To survive after graduation, you need to start your career while you're still a student!

The realization

As I buckled down for exams toward the end of my first semester, I overheard a conversation between two of my peers during an accounting lecture. They were talking about how, during the summer, they would be working for KPMG.

"Wait a minute," I thought to myself. "They're only 18 and they're about to start work terms with one of the biggest accounting firms in the world?" This was a revelation for me because I realized I also had to keep up with my fellow students in terms of work experience.

What I did

Frightened at the thought of falling behind, I turned my attention to finding out what options I had and where I could start applying for professional internships to build my career.

What added to my motivation was the fact that most of my peers were in co-op programs, leaving me at a disadvantage as a student trying to gain experience.

Here are a few things I did that helped me, and can help you, too:

Talk to students who have already secured summer internships and co-ops

Befriending people from your program, and other programs, too, to build a network is one of the best things you can do as a student. Not only will it enhance your social life, but also it increases your resources and enriches your whole university experience.

Reach out to campus recruiters

I sent more than 50 e-mails and made about 20 cold calls in the hope of getting to know a recruiter or even landing an interview. The good news is my relentless contacting helped me land some hard-to-get interviews, which helped me refine my skills and gave me a taste of the corporate world.

Make use of organizations that help students get internships

I joined one of these organizations and, within a month, I was trained in everything from building a résumé to meeting management at large companies. I was confident, possessed the appropriate business etiquette and had some value-added training to add to my résumé. With all this, I was able to land my first job with a large multinational company - the wheels of my career were finally in motion!

The result

Upon graduation, I had very strong marketing experience on my résumé, as well as the intangible "soft skills" that many employers covet in new grads.

I urge first- and second-year university students to think about their careers early to remain competitive. By doing so, you will not only open yourself up to new opportunities, but you will also develop intangible skills, such as the ability to network, as well as industry and HR knowledge, which are essential to your success.