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Taking a year off from college

N

nathan

Jul 16, 2004
252
0
#1
I'm just finishing my first semester of my second year in college. I feel like I need a change and I've been considering getting an apartment up here and a full time job to just live on for a year. I'm not really in the best mental mindset to be in school right now.

Have any of you done this? Is it a good idea? How did it make you feel? Did you go back?
 
#2
nathan said:
I'm just finishing my first semester of my second year in college. I feel like I need a change and I've been considering getting an apartment up here and a full time job to just live on for a year. I'm not really in the best mental mindset to be in school right now.

Have any of you done this? Is it a good idea? How did it make you feel? Did you go back?
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Yup. This particular tactic gets mixed reviews, I hear, but my experience with it was favorable. A little time off to clear your head and dig into the real world a little can do wonders for one's mindset for school.
 
#4
I wish I would have done that. I wanted a year off of college, since I was feeling pretty burned out at the time, but the parents told me no. As a result, I did terrible that entire year of school...only have a few credits to show for an entire academic year.


If you need to do it, do it.
 
#5
Don't do it!! Like Mr. T said: "Don't be a fool, stay in school!"

You'll get an apartment and a job, then you'll get a car, and furniture for the apartment, then you'll meet a girl, she'll want to go out lots and spend your money so you'll have to spend more time at your job, then you'll have all this extra income, so you'll add more expenses, knock up the girl, buy a little house in an affordable area, join the union.........


See it through to the end NOW! Everyone I know who took a year off still has the crappy job (Although at this stage of the game it's called a career) and never finished their degree. The world needs short order cooks too, so it's cool if you decide to take time off, but personally, I think it's a real bad idea.
 
#7
Phalex has a good point, but depending on the degree yer going for, it's not much better after you graduate. Every IT job I've ever interviewed for didn't give a rat's ass about a degree, just asked about experience and certification.
 
#8
I wasn't serious about school until I spent some time in a real (crappy) job. I think it's a good idea.

Phalex has a good point, though. Try not to get mired down by debts and relationships. Just skip a semester or two and then get back to it.
 
#11
Phalex said:
Don't do it!! Like Mr. T said: "Don't be a fool, stay in school!"

You'll get an apartment and a job, then you'll get a car, and furniture for the apartment, then you'll meet a girl, she'll want to go out lots and spend your money so you'll have to spend more time at your job, then you'll have all this extra income, so you'll add more expenses, knock up the girl, buy a little house in an affordable area, join the union.........


See it through to the end NOW! Everyone I know who took a year off still has the crappy job (Although at this stage of the game it's called a career) and never finished their degree. The world needs short order cooks too, so it's cool if you decide to take time off, but personally, I think it's a real bad idea.
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+1,000,000,000

Please stay in school. Worst mistake I've ever made. It took me 10 years to dig myself out of the hole and get back on the right career path after "it's only for a couple semesters". Yeah right.
 
#14
IMO you should really listen to the folks' that have regrets about taking a year off and ending up never going back.. I felt what you're feeling after sophomore year and though my parents ok'd it, luckily they made me keep taking classes at a local college while I got myself together.. I'll tell you, working full time in a dead-end job while taking classes.. I was pissed as my social life was gone but the next semester and I went right back to being a full-time student... and I was much more aware of how lucky I was to be in school.. sure I had less money but school is wayyyy more fun than real life.. enjoy it while you can.. and if you choose to take some time off, I'd highly recommend taking a few night classes so you don't fall completely out..
 
#15
The only thing bad about this is that it usually takes you about 3-4 months to realize you are going to do nothing with your life without proper education. After that, you need to hang in your crappy job and bite your lip until you can enroll again.

If you want to do it, the wisest thing would be to get a job from the field that you are studying, so you can write it off as a valuable work experience when you graduate. Also, I wouldn't take all the year off, maybe half of it if possible.
 
#16
I realize it could be a bad idea. It could also be a very good one. I've not been doing too well in school. I feel an intense disconnection with the place I'm at and the people I'm with. I don't know what I'm studying yet so I feel like I'm just treading water waisting thousands of dollars a year.

I've talked with my parents and they've told me that If I take a year off I would have to support myself almost entirely, however they would pay for my college as soon as I wanted to go back.

I realize I probobly won't have the best job. I'm young though, now is the time for me to make mistakes and figure out what the **** I'm doing with my life, you know? I feel like something is calling me to just live a little and figure things out. If I screw up, oh well... back to school. I won't get anybody pregnant, I won't blow my money...I'd like to think I'm smarter than that.

Is it really all that bad of an idea?
 
#17
nathan said:
I realize it could be a bad idea. It could also be a very good one. I've not been doing too well in school. I feel an intense disconnection with the place I'm at and the people I'm with. I don't know what I'm studying yet so I feel like I'm just treading water waisting thousands of dollars a year.

I've talked with my parents and they've told me that If I take a year off I would have to support myself almost entirely, however they would pay for my college as soon as I wanted to go back.

I realize I probobly won't have the best job. I'm young though, now is the time for me to make mistakes and figure out what the **** I'm doing with my life, you know? I feel like something is calling me to just live a little and figure things out. If I screw up, oh well... back to school. I won't get anybody pregnant, I won't blow my money...I'd like to think I'm smarter than that.

Is it really all that bad of an idea?
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No, it is not a bad idea. I was in school for something that I enjoyed, but I felt that it was a useless waste of thousands. I dropped out and found a job that I LOVE. I couldn't be happier working at this point in time. School isn't for everyone, but it is put up on this pedestal where you think that you have to have a degree to be able to do anything with your life. I say find something that you enjoy that you make money at, then you never work a day in your life. I highly encourage any type of apprenticeship.

lowsound
 
#20
Phalex said:
Don't do it!! Like Mr. T said: "Don't be a fool, stay in school!"

You'll get an apartment and a job, then you'll get a car, and furniture for the apartment, then you'll meet a girl, she'll want to go out lots and spend your money so you'll have to spend more time at your job, then you'll have all this extra income, so you'll add more expenses, knock up the girl, buy a little house in an affordable area, join the union.........


See it through to the end NOW! Everyone I know who took a year off still has the crappy job (Although at this stage of the game it's called a career) and never finished their degree. The world needs short order cooks too, so it's cool if you decide to take time off, but personally, I think it's a real bad idea.
Click to expand...
Took the words right out of my mouth.
 

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