Mental Break: Taking a Semester Off

by Christine Stoddard Illustration by Marleigh Culver

The way the light hits a beetle’s wing. The fact that you don’t breathe in the middle of a sentence. The true taste of pepperoni.

These are only some of the things you, a frazzled college student, may not notice.

You are not dim or ungrateful but rather distracted. Perhaps you should consider taking a semester off. Then you might see the world beyond your textbooks for more than ten seconds at a time. At least that is my solution for relaxing and re-focusing over the course of a few precious months. I couldn’t be a scatter-brained, juggling octopus anymore. Depending on your personal, economic, and academic situation, taking a semester off might be the right choice for you, too.

I made the decision after realizing I was tired. “Senioritis” had struck, but as a transfer student, I was still due for another year in school. My department gave me permission to take off the fall semester, but not the spring. Considering that I don’t qualify for financial aid, and had already completed the requirements for my second major, I didn’t think twice: I was going to ride my own train from August to January.

Okay. Slight hyperbole. I did think twice. I thought many, many times. I didn’t, after all, want to invest four years of life only to discover that I wouldn’t earn the degrees I wanted. I was particularly afraid of taking a semester off and then coming back, only to discover that I would have another semester after that. So, I asked my advisor some VERY IMPORTANT questions:

Do I have to re-apply to my major? (No.)

Do I have to fill out any paperwork? (No.)

Will the department leave spots for me in my last two classes? (Yes.)

Could I T.A. for the department during my semester off? (No.)

And so on and so forth.

I held my breath until the end of every meeting and also after sending every e-mail. When the meeting ended or my advisor replied to the e-mail, I exhaled, smiled, and did a little hop.

All in all, taking a semester off sounds like a sane plan for me. I can work and save up money to pay for my final semester. I can write and create and read and watch what I want, whenever I want. I can even enjoy a well-rounded social life again without the stress of papers and exams. I could even travel (and by that, I mean I shall when the bus fares are low and the stand-by flights are plenty).

Of course, I am fortunate that I can condense my one year into one semester. I am also fortunate that I will not have to wrestle with financial aid upon my return, or re-negotiate a place back in my department. Furthermore, I am fortunate to have a sense of how I would like to spend my weeks away from VCU...dreaming and playing and conquering.

Not all students are so fortunate. The logistics may not work in the same favor of your particular case. Anyone who is considering the idea of taking a semester off should discuss it with their advisor, parents, employer, loan officer, scholarship organization, trusted professors, and significant other. You have to ask yourself if you’re even emotionally prepared to enter the real world and then thrust yourself back into schoolwork. Returning to school later and finishing your degree might be harder with a break.

But if you can do it, do it with hope and confidence.