Is it possible to take a break during the middle of a semester?

Hi Everyone,

I’m a sophomore currently taking online classes at home. I’m a film major so most of the film classes in my university are cancelled. So I had to choose the courses I was not orginally interested in. Now I’m already one month into my study and am feeling extremely lost and depressed. The workload for online courses is much higher compared to in-person classes (more readings, essays, and reading reports). However, after putting all of my efforts in those courses for one month, I suddenly feel very lost today and I feel like I am wasting my time on the subjects I don’t like at all. I think I can benefit much more to do some internships or start a project by myself. The essays and readings are making me feel so depressed and I really wanna have a break to do something I truely want to do. So, I wanna ask: has anyone succeed in taking a break during the middle of a semester? Would you recommend me doing this considering I have already started the semester for a month?

Things to look into/consider:

Have you passed the add/drop period at your school?

Do you have a scholarship that could be at risk if you take a pause?

Have you seen a professional about your mental health? If so you may be able to get a medical withdrawal for the semester.

Talk to your academic advisor about your options.

Are the classes you are taking required cores that you are going to need anyway in order to graduate?

Also, if your school will allow you to withdraw, what % of tuition will be refunded? (typically not 100% after the first few weeks)

A “break” typically implies stopping at a point between semesters and picking up at that point at a later time. It’s very unlikely you would be able to stop 1 month in and start again 1 month into a future semester.

Your option is likely withdrawal, which would require starting your current classes over at a future date. As noted, financial implications could be significant.

Absolutely talk to a school counselor to understand options and implications. I suggest thinking very hard about the negative implications before moving in that direction. It may be the right choice for you, but you don’t want to look back in the future thinking “if I had known…”