How You Feel about Taking a Leave

It’s critically important to pause and reflect on how you feel about taking a leave of absence. This awareness can be useful as you decide what to share and how to access the support you’re looking for.

FEELINGS INVENTORY

Use the checklist to identify how you might be feeling about your leave of absence. You feel:

 Confident or optimistic; you’re making the right decision  Confused or lost; not sure what to do now  Sad or sorrowful; you’re mourning the loss of your community and student role  Embarrassed, ashamed; everyone seems to be thriving but you  Devastated; you cannot believe this is happening to you  Scared or worried; your family/friends will be disappointed or angry  Unsettled or terrified; what if you don’t return and finish your degree  Emotionally numb; there are so many feelings, you don’t feel anything at all  Mad or furious; it’s not fair/this shouldn’t be happening to you  Other:

 Other:

LET’S PAUSE HERE: YOU ARE NOT ALONE! Leaves from higher education are common. Even though we short-hand many colleges as “four-year schools”, the National Center for Educational Statistics reports the majority of four-year degree programs are completed in more than four years. This makes sense, as life and family, environmental and global circumstances, like the COVID-19 pandemic, have the power to interfere with our academic trajectory. Taking a leave of absence from college can be a health-promoting wellness strategy. With the pressure of academic performance off, there is more time and emotional energy to practice self-care and build skills — and supports.