Taking a break - What do you think?

Student Lounge College Life
1

<p>So, basically, I'm in my second semester of freshman year at college and I'm totally lost. Long story short, I don't like college and I don't know what I want to major in. I'm looking at a list of majors/classes right now and it's only succeeding in making me depressed because nothing is jumping out at me. Anyway, someone told me I might want to take a break for a while, find myself, blah blah blah. I was wondering what other people thought about this or if anyone can tell me what their experience was in taking a break from college?</p>

<p>And please don't say, "just take what you like". If I knew what I liked, I wouldn't be having this dilemma.</p>

2

<p>I’m considering it right now as well, actually.</p>

3

<p>I say suck it up</p>

4

<p>I totally understand what you’re going through since Im in the same situation.</p>

<p>I would say go ahead and do it. no use in doing school if you dont like it or dont have the passion for what you’re doing. Time off can be beneficial to you</p>

5

<p>I wouldn’t recommend it unless you’re at the point that you feel you just can’t function. Bear in my mind that coming back to college after a break is not easy and can put you in the same place or worse than where you left off. If you are taking classes in a sequence where information builds on a previous semester, it will make life hard on you when you come back. You also have to adjust to school again after being at home for an extended period, and depending on the housing situation for upperclassmen, you may look around campus and your classes and feel like you don’t know anyone anymore. Also, if you apply to med school or something similar, they will probably want an explanation for the time off.</p>

6

<p>I’m currently taking a semester-long break. Make sure you figure out the financial side (what are you going to live on during the time off, will the break affect your scholarship or whatever), and what are you going to do with your free time. I set up a few goals for myself, one of them specifically academic, so I know I’m not wasting my time. Doing nothing in particular, or trying to “find yourself” will turn into a prolonged vacation and lead to nothing. Consider all sides carefully.</p>

7

<p>I am currently taking a year off from college to volunteer for schools and cure-for-cancer associations. After two years of college, I felt hopelessly lost. I was switching majors from here to there, not really knowing what I wanted to do. And I was thinking about take a year off to do some soul-searching, but always found several excuses to not doing it. That is until my two uncles passed away that summer, making me feel how life is too short to pussyfooting. </p>

<p>Here is what I am doing right now. Be warned: It is an entry writing to a contest. If you like what you read, please go to [HP</a> Create Change Contest Finalists: Vote For Your Favorite! | Jolly Mom](<a href=“http://www.jollymom.com/2010/02/hp-create-change-contest-finalists-vote.html]HP”>http://www.jollymom.com/2010/02/hp-create-change-contest-finalists-vote.html) and vote for “From good to great” I notice that those who already voted didn’t even read my story because so far my blog has only garnered 2 views. They just voted for their friends and not the best story. I have deleted some piece to suit better as a reponse to this topic, and you read read the whole by going through that site.</p>

<p>For the past few months, I have been participating in several fight-for-cancer associations to spread their messages and help set up donations. And believe me, you have a lot to choose from. The one event that I engages the most is the Relay For Life fundraising by my local American Cancer Society charters. I even managed to convince several of my friends to join with me. And while there, I met a volunteer named Jack who has provided me with the opportunity to assist him in setting up and servicing candy vending machines for “The National Children’s Cancer Society” in my neighborhood. Not only that, we also went around to set up up donation jars at local businesses for American Cancer Society. And at the end of last year, we and others set up a yard sale where all proceeds went to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. I want to do more, but my abilities are limited. And winning this netbook and printer will assist me to make greater strides in my involvement to fight for cancer. Currently I am taking lessons from several websites about graphic designs and other computer related areas. My plan is to make myself useful in creating brochures, websites, blogs, fliers etc. That’s where the netbook will come into play. Right now, my broken-down laptop has frustrated me greatly in learning these stuff. So with the portable netbook, I can learn on the go and won’t suffer that lagging issues that my current laptop has. At the same time, I can learn more about cancer and it’s ramifications and participate in online discussions and keep up with various events. And once my training is complete, I could use the printer to make copies of fliers and other info documents to spread the word about cancer. It is my wish to inform as many people as possible that by changing certain bad habits of their daily routines, they can significantly reduce their risk for cancer. </p>

<p>The second thing that I have been actively engaged in is children education. For Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, I provide assistance to teachers at an elementary school and a middle school. I am able to go between these two schools because they are located very close to either other. For the most part, I help teachers with language and math classes. The reason that I want to focus more on math is that throughout my school career, I have heard a lot of students having trouble with math. It seems to me that the root of their problem is their early education. It is not that they totally suck at match from the beginning. I believe the problem lies with with the teaching methods. And the problem snowballs over time. It is my hope that I will be able to make a change of attitude for those students I have come contacted with. Furthermore, the fact that I know multiple languages (English, Chinese, and a little bit of Spanish) come handy for those who have newcomers in their classes who don’t understand English. Sometimes, I also provide translations for their parents. From time to time, I would demonstrate some good science experiments that my old teachers had shown me. My plan is to get them interested in science by seeing how fun it can be. And to some kids, I am known as the candyman. That’s because I bring candies to classes in an effort to lure them to participate more in class, whether it be classroom discussions or answering questions. I do see improvements!!! </p>

<p>On top of this, I also have another thing planned for later this year. After finishing the14th Annual Komen NC Triangle Affiliate Race for the Cure on June 12, I plan to volunteer for two months at a school in Schezchuan, one of the poorest regions in China. The inspiration came from the story of a female principal named Li Ling who works tirelessly in her efforts to bring free education to all those who attend the school she sets up with contributions from others. She would ride her tricycle all day to collect old children books for her school. And she even takes care of orphans. It was a touching story, rarely seen in our current society. What I plan to do in Schezchuan pales in comparison to her. None the less, I do want to make a difference in the life of those children that I will be teaching. For a lot of these kids, they have lived in the mountain all their lives and have never stepped a foot in the city. So it is my hope that I will be able to open their eyes and show them the outside world.</p>

<p>And like my efforts with cancer, this bundle will help greatly with my efforts in education. As for the schools that I am currently providing assistance, I could use the printer to print off worksheets, puzzles, pictures, etc. to relieve the strain on school budgets due to budget cut. Obviously, I can do these on a small scale since I don’t have a lot of money, but every little helps. And as students work on their assignments, I would be able to use the netbook to play off soothing classical music that I found to be quite helpful in absorbing materials. And every once in a while, I can play movies that I have downloaded to these kids by connecting the netbook to the tv in the room. And the usefulness of this netbook and printer will come into greater uses when I take them to China. With this portable netbook, I will be able to show these little kids the world they have never seen before through various pictures, music, movies, shows, video games etc. </p>

<p>I know that what I am doing might not be much, but I do believe that every little helps. I find a proverb by Confucius to be fitting for my current situation, “It doesn’t matter how slow you go as long as you don’t stop.”</p>

8

<p>I encourage that you do so, especially if you or your parents are footing the bill for your education.</p>

<p>I’m also highly against students going directly from high school to college. Many kids who do that end up not being able to cope and drop out, wasting a ton of their parents’ money. I’d rather have a more mature, focused twenty-something student than an unmotivated or wanderless teen student who was NO clue what they want to do with the rest of their life.</p>

9

<p>I agree with TPB… I’m considering joining the Army after this semester. Gimme some time to do something I’ve always wanted to do, I’ll certainly mature, and probably “discover myself” a lot better than I will reading textbooks and going to parties. Plus the Army would then pay for college.</p>

10

<p>Taking a break in most cases is a mistake. The people that know what they want to do right off the bat are in the minority. With the exception of a hand full of majors, your major really doesn’t matter. I’ve graduated and moved onto graduate school, but a lot of my friends have gone to work. A lot of people on these boards have planned out, in their minds, the ultimate double major with a minor combination that will set them up with the job of their dreams. Well, dreams change, and life takes them down a different path. </p>

<p>You don’t have to know what you want to do with your life to pick a major, unless maybe if you want to be an engineer, scientist, architect, accountant, or nurse etc. If none of these things appeal to you then your job is easier, just pick something you think is interesting and get the best grades you can. Since you can’t figure out what you like, then reduce your criteria to picking something you have a chance at liking. You don’t figure out what you want to study by not studying, you figure it out by studying a broader range of topics and taking a chance on some different classes.</p>

<p>Work experience is always more important than what you happened to major in, so hook-up an internship for the summer. If you don’t like it, don’t go back next summer. This is a process, not an ah-ha moment.</p>