• LAVA Moderator: Shinji Ikari

finishing a degree vs. taking a year off

IAmTheWalrus

Bluelighter
Joined
Oct 18, 2005
Messages
241
okay so im seriously considering taking a year off, but i need some feedback on this. ive made a list of pros and cons. either way im going to have to where im at for another year bc of the apartment. i just found out that new college in sarasota (a college i kind of have my heart set on) will only accept a maximum of three semesters worth of credits. i still have some research to do in order to find what i will need to complete in my remianing four at new college to graduate.

background info: went to stetson for one semester, then a community college for my second semester of college. originally intended on returning to stetson, but im not really interested in doing that anymore. new college is unique in that it gives students more initiative in designing their curriculum and doesnt use the traditional grade and credits system. its very artsy. and while i understand that education is the primary reason im in college, i want to move to a beach town with more of a nightlife, more cultural activities and such than the town than either deland or the town in which i currently reside offer.

staying at the community college and finishing my aa

pros:
-finish something in one place, sense of stability, security, achievement (i guess)-an aa is something to fall back on
-ill be able to keep my work study job in addition to being a waitress, thats like 350 tax free, easy, much need money every month working somewhere i like with people i like


cons:
-i dont know how im going to finance this at all-im waiting on a response from special circumstances at finaid to le me know the effects of all the paperowkr i recently collected for them
-im not looking forward to another semester of taking classes i dont want to/have already taken but probably couldnt test out of. id be taking alot of them, too-like 18 hrs worth each semester, in addition to working 40-50 hrs a week. this leaves little time for anything else.
-im going to be busting my ass and stressing to take classes i absolutely have no interest in taking because they do not pertain at all to my major or interests

taking a year off

pros:

-i wouldnt have to figure out how to finance ~$10,000 of education i dont even want right now
-i can take some time to hopefully have a more secure idea of what i want to do (im not so sure anymore)
-will be working only at red lobster, maybe another part time office type job, but i will definitely have much more time to research schools, scholarships, finaid, etc. and hopefully make a more educated choice
-would be able to save more money (or just have more time to spend it....??)

cons:

-have to start paying off loans (granted, i can probably afford to do this, assuming of course that my loans can be re-deferred once i enroll at full time again)
-i will feel like im wasting time, will lack the sense of direction that college almost guarantees, or at least appears to...

im sure there are things ive left out. i realize that ultimately the decision is mine and im the only one who can make it, but id like advice and to know if there are any major holes in my logic. my situation is a little more complicated than i feel like writing about right now, but questions are kind of what im looking for.

i really appreciate it. :)
 
I think time off from college is basically a waste of time, and an excuse to get more in to things that you should not be in. Im from Bradenton and New College is a great school. But finishing your lower division credits at the community college level if that is where you already are is always reccomended. It is cheaper. And choosing what University to go to depends more on what your major/program you are in than the area. What major are you?
 
im a psych major. i still have some research to do i guess as far as what im going to have to take at new college in order to graduate with a bachelors. right now, im leaning on going to school at the community college here and taking the classes I WANT TO, rather than busting my ass to take classes i dont want just to get my associates.
 
IAmTheWalrus said:
okay so im seriously considering taking a year off, but i need some feedback on this. ive made a list of pros and cons. either way im going to have to where im at for another year bc of the apartment. i just found out that new college in sarasota (a college i kind of have my heart set on) will only accept a maximum of three semesters worth of credits. i still have some research to do in order to find what i will need to complete in my remianing four at new college to graduate.

background info: went to stetson for one semester, then a community college for my second semester of college. originally intended on returning to stetson, but im not really interested in doing that anymore. new college is unique in that it gives students more initiative in designing their curriculum and doesnt use the traditional grade and credits system. its very artsy. and while i understand that education is the primary reason im in college, i want to move to a beach town with more of a nightlife, more cultural activities and such than the town than either deland or the town in which i currently reside offer.

staying at the community college and finishing my aa

pros:
-finish something in one place, sense of stability, security, achievement (i guess)-an aa is something to fall back on
-ill be able to keep my work study job in addition to being a waitress, thats like 350 tax free, easy, much need money every month working somewhere i like with people i like


cons:
-i dont know how im going to finance this at all-im waiting on a response from special circumstances at finaid to le me know the effects of all the paperowkr i recently collected for them
-im not looking forward to another semester of taking classes i dont want to/have already taken but probably couldnt test out of. id be taking alot of them, too-like 18 hrs worth each semester, in addition to working 40-50 hrs a week. this leaves little time for anything else.
-im going to be busting my ass and stressing to take classes i absolutely have no interest in taking because they do not pertain at all to my major or interests

taking a year off

pros:

-i wouldnt have to figure out how to finance ~$10,000 of education i dont even want right now
-i can take some time to hopefully have a more secure idea of what i want to do (im not so sure anymore)
-will be working only at red lobster, maybe another part time office type job, but i will definitely have much more time to research schools, scholarships, finaid, etc. and hopefully make a more educated choice
-would be able to save more money (or just have more time to spend it....??)

cons:

-have to start paying off loans (granted, i can probably afford to do this, assuming of course that my loans can be re-deferred once i enroll at full time again)
-i will feel like im wasting time, will lack the sense of direction that college almost guarantees, or at least appears to...

im sure there are things ive left out. i realize that ultimately the decision is mine and im the only one who can make it, but id like advice and to know if there are any major holes in my logic. my situation is a little more complicated than i feel like writing about right now, but questions are kind of what im looking for.

i really appreciate it. :)

as a married college student w/kids let me just say...please stay in school, like the previous poster it's just a waste of time.
I was taking 12 hours sem credit, and had to withdraw from 6 hrs. It hurts me deeply to do to do this, becouse when I was younger before kids marriage etc. I had it in the bag now I have to manage and finance school hubby kids etc.

Despite the cons continue the course. I know financing can be an issue but look for scholarships, private loans, financial aid/grants where ever you can as you mostly likely already know.
 
I took a year off during my undergraduate degree and feel like it was the best possible thing I could do. I went on a 6 month climbing trip around the US, took a lot of drugs, tripped out of my mind a few times, chilled with friends, etc. When the year was over and I re-enrolled, I was actually VERY focused (moreso than the first two years) and excited to be there.

YMMV, some people say it might make you distracted and not focused when you come back. I think it depends on how you use that year...if you use it in a way that makes you truly HAPPY, then I think its not a bad thing. What's the rush to complete anyways?

I'm in my second year of a MA now and plan to take another year off between this degree and my PHD (my final degree). Yes., I will be in university (off and on at least) from age 18 to 32, but again, what's the rush?
 
it seems very dangerous to take a year off when your so close, ive seen it before when people just take a little time off and they fall into a horrible rut...
con: if something bad happens in this year off i could end up working at red lobster until im 40

i dont mean to sound rude or say that you will end up failing, but some things are just out of your control and who knows what circumstances could lead to not being able to go back to school, financial or who knows what?

look at the donner party, they struggled through the desert and then celebrated for 5 days at the end of it, but then a freak snow storm set in and they ended up eating each other. if they had just kept going they would have missed the storm completely
 
i took time off and i'm back in school

i was out from may 06 and just started back in june of this year
 
i'm currently taking a year off from school b/c i could no longer keep all of my priorities balanced; one was always suffering. i have a child that will be starting pre-school in the fall, i'm moving into a new place within the next 6 weeks (hopefully) and i just recently started a new job. personally, i need time off to adjust to all of these new things going on in my life so why waste money on classes if i wouldn't be able to focus on the work? you do what you need to do, school will always be there. even though it's better to get your degree while you're young(ish), it's not always a bad idea to take your time so you can be 100% focused on your schooling.
 
Unless there are serious extenuating circumstances - ie, you have a child like Generation E then I gotta say that the vast majority of time when people "take a year off" its because they are lazy and/or haven't figured out how to deal with the demands of school - ie, having a good work ethic and time management.

While in school I was the manager of a restaurant and worked 40 hours a week and also did a lot of other things. I got nearly straight A's at one of the top universities in the country. BUT, the first 2 years of school I DIDN'T work and definitely DIDN'T get good grades. I was a slacker. I had no work ethic, time management, and was lazy. Once I figured out how to apply myself and manage my time to accomplish goals, I was good to go. Taking time off would not have taught me how to do that though. It would have only hurt me worse.
 
i stopped b/c my parents wouldnt give me info for loans and had to wait until i was emancipated
 
aanallein said:
Unless there are serious extenuating circumstances - ie, you have a child like Generation E then I gotta say that the vast majority of time when people "take a year off" its because they are lazy and/or haven't figured out how to deal with the demands of school - ie, having a good work ethic and time management.
I disagree. The friends that I knew that took time off used it very well (helping people, travel, paying off loans, etc).

I also spent my time well, 6 months I worked and 6 months I traveled around the US climbing at the most sick and amazingly awesome climbing areas in the country. :D

Don't regret it for a second. Again, whats the rush? I don't EVER want to be in the 'real' world! :D
 
I think a year of is, not only a good idea, but actually should be mandatory. Especially if it was spent travelling abroad.

IMO, educational systems throughout the world are fucked. People enter university at the one time in their lives when they're most confused. This results in a lot of wasted credits as one tries to figure out what to do.

I wish I had the option of taking a year off, especially between school and university.
 
Jamshyd said:
I think a year of is, not only a good idea, but actually should be mandatory. Especially if it was spent travelling abroad.

IMO, educational systems throughout the world are fucked. People enter university at the one time in their lives when they're most confused. This results in a lot of wasted credits as one tries to figure out what to do.

I wish I had the option of taking a year off, especially between school and university.
totally agree. I recommend to all undergraduates I give advice to, to take a year abroad studying somewhere you've always wanted to travel to. Its an excellent opportunity. I would have taken a year to South America could I do it again (I will do it in between MA and PHD now I think though!).
 
I took a year and a half off with only 3 semesters left before graduation, and I can say that it was the best decision I could have possibly made. Before I took my time off I was having a lot of problems on and off with my health because of the stress level, I wasn't sure what I wanted to do, I was going crazy because of the indecision, my grades were suffering as a result, etc. etc. etc. In fact, it seems like I was in a pretty similar situation to yours. I left school, worked 80 hours a week for the vast majority of the time I was out, and came back reinvigorated and excited about finishing my degree (and it didn't hurt that even my 4 hour labs with 9 hour lab reports were a cakewalk compared to my prior grueling work schedule). My first semester back I took a courseload that everyone I spoke to said would destroy me (and this is coming from honors students in my field and my counselor for my major), and I got a 3.8 without even trying that hard. I did worse when I was taking much easier classes before I took my time off.

Long story short: if you're unsure, and moreover if the situation is stressing you out, it's better to take time off to make up your mind and get settled with your life in general.
 
I had one semester left to get an AS in Computer Science and I just quit. I didn't take a "year off" I was just done with school. I decided that finishing my degree was worth less than moving somewhere that had a huge job market for me. It worked out too cause I immediately got a high paying job that was like my dream job. I did have some certifications though.

Fast forward about 2 years and I'm back in school in another state to get a degree in chemical engineering and it turns out that since I finished all my computer science courses first (was just working on general ed) when I get my transfer degree I'll finish my CS degree too so it wasn't a waste after all.

If you really feel the need to just stop then don't worry about it. These things work themselves out.. or at least they did for me.
 
Just keep this in mind. The older you get the harder it is. I'll be thirty next year and I'm in my second year of pre-dent. (so six more to go before I get there) I own a house, have a day job that I must keep at least part time in order to keep the mortgage paid and finance this whole shindig. Not to mention all the other insidious little responsibilities that creep in as swiftly as does adulthood. It is incredibly stressful and I find myself wishing I did this years ago. Don't get me wrong, sometimes a person needs a break. Just stay focused so it doesn't become and extended break.
 
Just stay focused so it doesn't become and extended break.

Agreed. I'm not where I want to be in life because I haven't been working as much as I want to.
 
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