  We present an extensive Monte Carlo investigation of the metastable lifetime
through the reversal of the magnetization of spin-$s$ Ising and Blume-Capel
models, where $s=\{1/2, 1, 3/2, 2, 5/2, 3, 7/2\}$. The mean metastable lifetime
(or reversal time) is studied as a function of the applied magnetic field and
for both models is found to obey the Becker-Doring theory, as was initially
developed for the case of $s=1/2$ Ising ferromagnet within the classical
nucleation theory. Moreover, the decay of metastable volume fraction nicely
follows the Avrami's law for all values of $s$ and for both models considered.

Statistical Mechanics