<p>Hey guys -</p>
<p>Has anyone taken a break or leave of absence during college? </p>
<p>I really need a change of pace - I don't want to drop out - and am looking for some inspiration/ideas on how to break without working at McDonalds (though waitressing or some other profession that doesn't require a college education is definitely not off limits).</p>
<p>I’m on a leave of absence right now. Personally, for me, it was the wrong decision. I hate not being in school and I feel really purposeless. I was having a crisis at the beginning of this semester with homesickness and freaking out about the college I was going to, so I withdrew for the semester and came home. I was going to a private college with a close to 40k tuition, so I was racking up a lot of debt - the only good thing about coming home is that I got reimbursed and I am going to finish school at my state university for practically free. I just wish I had figured that out this summer instead of after I already left for college.</p>
<p>I still really hate my situation right now. I am looking for work, but I don’t want to be working a dead-end job. I want to be in school. I kind of romanticized what coming home would be like. I thought I’d come home and have all this freedom, be able to do whatever I wanted, have time to figure out my major and set a new plan, and hang out with friends all the time. Its turned into just being a bum. I am getting super depressed. I’m using some of my time to study certain subjects that I can test out of, but its a lot harder to stay motivated when you take a semester off. I feel like I’ve ruined my college transcripts and that I’m never going to get back on track. Whether or not thats true, being at home makes you feel like that. </p>
<p>So if you have a concrete plan and are going to do something cool and worthwhile with your time off, then do it. Just don’t rush home and be a bum. Its fun for two days and then it gets really old.</p>
<p>I have absolutely no desire to bum around, hence the thread. Until I have some good ideas about what I can do in my time off, I’m not going to go “running home”. On the contrary, ideally I’d like to find a job and get a room somewhere not at home, but I don’t mind staying at home if that’s the best option.</p>
<p>Also, I’ve experienced college pretty thoroughly so this isn’t some kinda flighty decision. I’m on my 4th yr of college - though not close to graduating - so I’ve had plenty of time to acclimate and attempt to use all of the resources available to me.</p>
<p>Yes, but it wasn’t really for a change of pace.</p>
<p>Well I was just answering your question by telling you my experience. Obviously you’re a way smarter, more mature, and sane minded person - my mistake.</p>
<p>Hah, sorry I got defensive on ya. There is so much stigma surrounding taking a break from college that I get a lot of flak (especially from ‘adults’). </p>
<p>And, my reasons aren’t necessarily for a change of pace either. But it’s a good way to sum it up for the purposes of an internet message board.</p>
<p>The stigma exists so that people like Siouxsie don’t make such a mistake.</p>
<p>Siouxsie might be having a bad time, but the thing is, he/she did NOT ruin college transcripts…if he/she stayed for the year and got straight Ds then his/her transcript would be ruined. Spending time at home might be unpleasant for some people but it is never a “terrible” decision in a sense that it is going to significantly hinder you if you are the type that enjoys school and wants to return. For some people, it may be just what they need.</p>
<p>One of my best friends took a leave of absence to go do some traveling, which ended up not happening. She did this after her freshman year, and now she’s at a community college and will be attending a different university next year. It’s going to mean that she’ll be graduating a year behind her original class, and she’s lost a lot of opportunities from it. I just think it’s always best to just stay the course and wait until you’ve graduated to do whatever you think you need to do. You can always find a change of pace at school. Have you studied abroad?</p>
<p>At my school, a leave of absence means you are guarunteed admission if you return within the specified timeframe. Also, I do not possess any financial aid or scholarships nor do I participate in an honors program or a special major that would be lost in the process. So, I don’t perceive any lost opportunities from the leave of absence itself. Why did your friend decide to go to community college and then transfer to a different school? </p>
<p>Academically I don’t qualify for the study abroad programs at my school unfortunately.</p>
<p>I think the better question is- why have you completed 4 years and are not close to graduating? </p>
<p>You do seem like you need to take a break from school and get your head worked out. Get a full time job and volunteer at a few different places to maybe find an idea of what you want to do or do an internship for credit (in something you think you might like) with a part time job.</p>
<p>She could have been majoring in something and then realized it totally blew so she decided to switch majors, but very few of the courses for her original major applied to her new major. For example if you’re majoring in business and then decide you wanna major in, idk, computer science.</p>
<p>^Right, that’s part of the problem for sure. I switched my major about 3x during the course of my undergrad. I still don’t know what I want to do - though I have some ideas about what I -don’t- want to do now (great, right? :P). </p>
<p>Also, I didn’t do too well in many of my other classes. </p>
<p>I just don’t feel I’m at the right place in my life to take advantage of college right now. A lot of people would say, whatever, finish up, you’ve been here 4 years already. If I was the type that didn’t enjoy school or learning I would say, sure. But I really AM the college type and want a break to figure things out so I can come back and finish strong. I wouldn’t be happy with myself if things continued the way they were going, whether I got my degree sooner or not.</p>
<p>And, I like the suggestion about volunteering on the side. That definitely opens up some more doors if I can’t secure glamorous employment (lol). What types of people would be willing to hire a smart kid who can write well, fast, and think logically, but who doesn’t have a college degree? I’m also decently friendly but I don’t have any experience waitressing, bartending, or anything like that. Though I wouldn’t mind building up some skills in that area.</p>
<p>Don’t tell people you’re taking a leave of absence to brush up on your waitressing skills. :P</p>
<p>There are zillions of websites where you can look up various volunteer opportunities in your area. The possibilities are almost completely endless.</p>