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Lost..take a year off?

not_broken_420

not_broken_420

Bluelighter
Joined
Jul 17, 2005
Messages
558
Location
North Carolina
Feel free to skim-I just need to get this out. The question's at the end. ;)

I started going to college full-time last semester when I was 17, moved into the dorms, and got a job on campus. Over winter break I moved out of the dorms, and I like my living situation a lot more now--I like my roommates, I have privacy, and I have a place to stay over breaks and such, which is important because I don't plan on going back to my hometown for the summer. For the first time in my life, I belong somewhere and am surrounded by positive, fun, true friends.

I think it would be in my best interest to take a year off of school. I'm paying for rent and bills, and I need a new car desperately because mine is about to fall apart. My parents do all they can, but can't afford to buy me a car. Plus, I have no clue what I want to do right now for a career so I'm just taking a lot of unrelated useless classes, and I can't continue doing the work if I don't see the point. It is really depressing me at this point. I've started skipping class, and not doing so well. It's a waste of money and energy.

My parents have offered to let me move back home, but I am afraid that if I lived there and work became my whole life that I would end up an alcoholic, or addicted to painkillers like I was in high school out of sheer boredom (they live in the middle of nowhere 30 minutes away from everything). I love the life I have built here--my home, my boyfriend, friends, amazing city, and I feel like I can learn much more about myself here than I would going to a community college and waitressing in the middle of nowhere.

I skipped a grade when I was little, so I wouldn't be "behind" if I took a year to figure some stuff out and get a car. My question is, have any of you taken a year off? Did you go back? My mom doesn't believe that if I start working full-time I will go back. The thing is, I don't WANT to be a waitress for the rest of my life, and I do think that, if I have a sense of direction, I will be able to succeed in school. I just need a goal (and a car..desperately). Thoughts, similar experiences?
 
I took a year off between finishing high school and the start of uni - not your typical gap year (going off on holidays boozing it up...) I took a year off so that I could work, and earn some money. It worked out well for me.

When I started uni (at age 21 also...) everything was tops.

You need to figure out what is best for you, and if taking a year off to gain some more insight into what you want to do with your life will help, then go for it. There is nothing worse than wasting money on random courses that you aren't interested in. Take some time off, find your motivation, come back to college and do it!!

CB :)
 
Thanks for the reply. It's definitely looking like that will be the best option for me. My heart just isn't in school right now, and I feel like the only time I'm NOT thinking/learning is in class!
 
I took over four years off, and I went back. I suppose it depends on your reason for leaving and if/when you get your motivation to go back. I, one day, just woke up and decided I wanted to go back to school. So, i weighed out the pros and cons, and everything's worked out very well since I went back.

I'd say if you need to take time off, go ahead. If your heart's not in it, there's no sense in wasting money on it. Plus, I think you should WANT to be there. Wanting to be there makes it much more enjoyable to be there.
 
not_broken_420 said:
Thanks for the reply. It's definitely looking like that will be the best option for me. My heart just isn't in school right now, and I feel like the only time I'm NOT thinking/learning is in class!
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I dont want to sound like im coming down on you, but your priorities may be off if the classroom is where you aren't thinking or learning. I'm not sure taking a year off may be the best thing. I have known droves of friends who swore they would go back, not go back. Granted some do go back, but I still see it as a gamble.

My advice would be to at least take a class or two at the comm college, and make sure they are something that you like! Im not sure what you are into, but if it's gym, take a gym class and a health class, if its art, do some art stuff (I clearly dont know crap about art) if it's writing, do some creative writing classes etc...
 
I took a year off after I had problems in my first semester. Now I enjoy my classes a lot more (switched majors after I came back) and I feel more focused and mature.

It depends on what you do during your time off.
 
I see what you're saying Joseph, but I agree with magicalchem. I'm taking a year off so I can get a car and figure out what I want to go to school for. I definitely don't want to end up working in a restaurant for the rest of my life, so I know I'll go back.

Thanks for the responses :) I'm going to talk to my school advisor soon.
 
not_broken_420 said:
I see what you're saying Joseph, but I agree with magicalchem. I'm taking a year off so I can get a car and figure out what I want to go to school for. I definitely don't want to end up working in a restaurant for the rest of my life, so I know I'll go back.

Thanks for the responses :) I'm going to talk to my school advisor soon.
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I know I advised you to take a year off if you really needed to, but just out of pure curiosity, are there any type of liberal arts type classes that are required for everyone to take? Say like Intro to sociology or polisci or the likes that you could take once a week or what have you?

My biggest frustration was taking those classes when I wanted to take classes geared toward my major when I returned.

That might be something to look into, like Joseph said.
 
Every year you have to take a "Humanities" class, which is basically the entire history of the human race crammed into a lecture and class weekly. And you have to complete a "cluster," a group of related classes..All the requirements make me feel like I'm in high school all over again. But this year I did get a few of those required things done..
 
not_broken_420 said:
Every year you have to take a "Humanities" class, which is basically the entire history of the human race crammed into a lecture and class weekly. And you have to complete a "cluster," a group of related classes..All the requirements make me feel like I'm in high school all over again. But this year I did get a few of those required things done..
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I agree some of them are very high school-eque, but do any of them appeal to you at all? I'm only asking because I'd hate to see someone else go through what I had to go through when I returned to school. It was hard getting all of the B.S. classes taken care of, and now I'm a year behind in my program because of pre-reqs for certain classes.

I will say this, keep your grades up that you do have. It's really hard to get your GPA back into shape if you just give up before you decide to leave.
 
The more time time you take off from school, the less likely it is you'll go back. Taking time off should be your last resort. A mind is a terrible thing to waste. :)
 
Hey I'm in almost your exact same situation... 17, in college, got my own place, got a job, etc. And I feel you on almost all of this. It's too much, and I have no clue what I want to be doing in school, I feel like I'm just taking a bunch of random classes... so I've also decided to take some time off, get my shit together a little bit more and figure out what I want to really do before I go back.

If it feels right, do it.
 
I took three years off. I'm back, and frankly I've found the initial transition back to studying and homework a bit tumultuous, at least at the beginning. I'm hitting my stride now, but at first it was a little hectic. I definitely agree that the more time you take off, the harder it is to continue again. I would suggest that if you're going to take time off school, take no more than a year.
 
You made the right choice. Take time off.

A degree with bad marks and no focus is useless to you anyway, and while you're working you'll realise how great the university lifestyle really is, as well as having a think about what the hell you want to do.
 
Im not sure totally going away is the right choice... Even taking just 1 class (even a bullshit class) a semester so school stays on your mind would be HUGE!

I failed out of college 4 semesters in a row and was ready to drop out. BUt by keeping school on my mind, I did actually go back while many others I know never did. College really is great. If you are lost, college is the perfect place to finally find yourself, and make a future for yourself. I went from doing construction and working my ass off to make just enough money to get by, to living very nice on account of having a degree. Use the ends justifying the means as motivation to make it through school.
 
I would also stay in school, but only take courses you think you'll actually like. In hindsight, I look back at my grades and I scored nearly perfect (and had fun) in two biology courses and a feminism course. What did I do? I went and got a degree in finance, and I can't stand a single person that I have to be around now. Always do what you like... it sounds cliche but it's true.
 
Well I just was informed that I will totally be cut off financially from my parents. I'm already paying all my bills, but they aren't going to pay my car insurance, which will be a ton if i get a new car because i'm getting through some loophole with the insurance co.) I only want to take a year -- but I told them a semester would be good and then i could go right back. But it seems once I was completely 100% financially independent, I'd never be ABLE to go back to school. They just think I'm taking time off to party, but I'm not -I believe I'd have less time to party working full-time..

Maybe I should just take one class just to satisfy them and 'keep my mind active' until i figure something out, which is what they think I'm doing in class, even though it doesn't really keep my mind active because my heart's not in it.
 
I vote for "Take the year off!!!"

I went to uni straight from school with not a clue about what i really enjoyed, what i really wanted to do. Had complete nervous breakdown after 3 months and left.

Got a job, got my own apartment, discovered the real world. After 5 years started correspondence university (waaaay cheaper, paid my own way) doing exactly what I wanted to do, in my own time, without having to schlep to useless lectures given by bored professors. Learnt about things that I really wanted to learn about, that i know use daily in my job, scored near perfect marks for everything cos when you're truly interested in something, you don't even really have to study pre-exams, and really enjoyed the learning process.

Personally I think a year off between school and university/college should be compulsory for all. You should decide what you want to do = not your parents/school/counselors.

good luck in whatever you decide to do :)

If you are lost, college is the perfect place to finally find yourself, and make a future for yourself.
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Absolutely no offense meant, but in my case, I couldn't disagree more. The real world is where you find yourself. College agrees with some people, but is not the ideal environment for all.
 
I left high school with like a 75 average. I moved to the otherside of the country and basically worked, did drugs, and got a feel for how much life can truly suck if you DON'T go to school. I moved back home, and TWO years after graduating HS, went to college, and scored a 4.0 my first two semesters in a row =) I never would have pulled those grades off going right into it.
 
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