Taking a semester off?

Student Lounge College Life
1

<p>Hey guys,</p>

<p>I used this site a lot during my own college process when I was in high school. However, now I am a sophomore and I’m in need of some advice. </p>

<p>I was accepted to my first choice school, which I absolutely love and I cannot imagine myself anywhere else. However, I’m also a typical overachiever and I’ve spent the past four years working myself to death; two years on high school to gain acceptance, and two years here. At the beginning of this academic year I developed an autoimmune disease from stress, but I basically have not been feeling like myself since Fall semester of freshman year.</p>

<p>Last summer I worked four jobs, and last semester was largely spent learning how to manage my health. This semester I am taking six classes, I’m involved in Greek Life, I have a job, and I’m in several volunteer organizations. I’m stressed out almost all of the time, I’m constantly exhausted, and I’m wearing my parents down because they hate to see me unhappy, an I hate to feel unhappy when I know that I’m the reason for it.</p>

<p>I’m thinking of taking the Fall 2013 semester off. I’m staying on campus this summer and I’m working only one job, but I’m thinking that I may need more than just the summer to recover my energy and happiness. Right now, I’m just trying to survive the last six weeks of the semester. Thoughts? I’m just tired of being miserable at my dream school! Definitely do not want to transfer though.</p>

2

<p>If you think taking a semester off will help you, then do it. As long as you are 100% confident that you won’t mind being a semester behind “schedule” (unless you take summer classes) and that you will indeed return after that semester. Once you get into taking a year off territory… It may be harder to commit to returning to college, and you might feel WAY behind. I knew people who said they would take just a year off and then that turned into several years… My boyfriend took a year off two years ago. He really regrets it now because he feels behind. I already graduated a year ago and he is still in school. </p>

<p>So I would keep those things in mind, but if you know you will return after that semester, then do it! It really won’t matter. Grad school? Yeah, like they will give a crap that you took a semester off. It’s all very personal when you get down to it.</p>

3

<p>Also consider dropping some extracurricular activities.</p>

4

<p>Take the time off. The perspective of being “behind” that was mentioned in post #2 will become something you laugh about by the time you are in your late 20’s or beyond. Ask anyone who is 30 whether it matters if they graduated college at 22 or 23 and I bet the answer will be they wish they took longer!</p>

<p>If you take the time off I would suggest trying to do something more with it than just working a casual job. Internships and other relevant experience is something future employers value highly. One secret is that while internships are somewhat hard to get, coop positions tend to be much easier to come by because students are less willing to take a semester off from school. But given you are already planning on doing this, or at least thinking about it, if there are any coop positions that would align with your future goals that would be a definite plus for you to do.</p>