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Should I take a year off from studying?
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Post by
776479
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Post by
324987
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Post by
variable303
Depends. How motivated are you to be in school/study? Are you passionate about the field you're studying? If you're doing it just because it's 'what everyone else does', then maybe you
should
give taking a year off some serious thought.
I sorta went through something similar. In high school, my grades were mediocre (mostly B's). I was way into partying and wasn't focused or disciplined enough to have any meaningful success. Still, I decided to go to community college for a year. During that year, I was bored, apathetic, etc... I think I actually got more C's than anything else.
Basically, I was at a crossroads similar to yours. Rather than going back for a 2nd year though, I decided to join the Marines (lolz). Yeah, kind of a drastic decision, but you know what?... It really helped me mature, figure out what I wanted in life, and gave me a huge dose of discipline. Traveling the world and seeing first hand how other people lived also helped me gain perspective and a greater appreciation for what I already had.
After 5 years in the Corps, I was actually excited about going back to school. Sitting in a lecture hall and learning about new things actually sounded appealing for the first time in my life. And sure enough, when I went back to community college, I did much better because I enjoyed it, and genuinely wanted to be there. Moreover, when it came time to choose a major, I knew what I wanted. Eventually, I transferred to UC San Diego and ended up graduating summa cum laude, something my parents never could've imagined considering my past academic record.
In short, don't feel pressured by societal norms. Judge for yourself how much you want to go back to school. If expenses permit, you might also want to consider traveling out of the country for a while and do something meaningful while you're away. Finally, don't feel constrained by time. My guess is you're probably in your early 20s, which means you've got a lot of time figure out what you want to do. Heck, I was 30 when I finally got my degree.
Good luck with whatever you do!
Post by
124027
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Post by
Cambo
I would suggest getting some work experience.
I entered my vocation (shipping) with no qualifications or knowledge about it. 5 years later I've worked my way around a handful of companies and have gained a wealth of experience, a fat salary and a good reputation.
I strongly believe that work experience from the ground up is better than a tertiary (college/university) qualification.
I've come across a handful of graduates who struggled to grasp how things work in my line of work because they had difficulty applying all the theory they had learned.
Of course there would be some trades and lines of work where studying would be extremely beneficial.
Post by
Kalisha
If your heart isn't in school right now, then take off however much time you need.
I've been in the same position you're in now. I had absolutely no clue what I wanted to do (well, actually, I wanted to do
everything
- I couldn't settle on one thing), but rather than just stepping back and taking the time I needed to get my head straight, I decided to keep on going. Except my motivation was nonexistent. I didn't do my work, didn't go to class half the time, and didn't learn a bloody thing.
It was a colossal waste of time and money, and it did absolutely nothing good for my self esteem. I finally dropped out and took off the time I needed. I didn't go back until I was actually excited about the prospect and was ready to commit. I was older, more mature, had a better grasp on time management. And it was 100% better. Being older than the majority of the students was mildly obnoxious, but totally worth it in the end.
Those bad grades stick with you, no matter where you go. I had to work hard to prove to both myself and my family that it would be better when I went back (not to mention I had to convince another school to take a chance on me). So believe me when I say, if you're not ready, it's not worth it.
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