What to expect in the real world?
December 3, 2010 7:34 AM Subscribe
What are the drawbacks to taking time off of school? On the other hand, have you had a positive experience taking an unconventional route to education?
I'm currently in my second year of university in Portland, and I really dislike my school. It's a very religious environment, which I am finding suffocating, and it's not challenging me at all. I've done well throughout high school and college, with high test scores and pretty much straight A grades. I'm a Political Science major and plan to eventually go to law school. Studying on my own really interests me, but I am getting nothing out of my classes and feel like it's a waste of time and money. I can't imagine going back to my university next year.
I've looked into transferring, but I can't find a school right now that interests me that I would be able to afford. (My school offers me a lot of scholarship money that is making it possible.) Additionally, my school has tons of Bible Study, Theology, and Religious Studies requirements that aren't likely to transfer to any other school, meaning I may have to do an additional year.
So I'm thinking of taking some time off. I actually really like school; I enjoy learning and I feel like I excel at it. But I can't think of a situation for the immediate future that would allow me to continue in school.
At the same time, the job market is not great. I don't want to leave a "promising path" of good grades and recommendations to work a minimum wage job and never be able to catch up.
Did you take an unconventional route? What was your experience? I'm trying to understand what to expect and whether or not I'm ready to cut the ties with my school for good.
Thanks for your help.
I'm currently in my second year of university in Portland, and I really dislike my school. It's a very religious environment, which I am finding suffocating, and it's not challenging me at all. I've done well throughout high school and college, with high test scores and pretty much straight A grades. I'm a Political Science major and plan to eventually go to law school. Studying on my own really interests me, but I am getting nothing out of my classes and feel like it's a waste of time and money. I can't imagine going back to my university next year.
I've looked into transferring, but I can't find a school right now that interests me that I would be able to afford. (My school offers me a lot of scholarship money that is making it possible.) Additionally, my school has tons of Bible Study, Theology, and Religious Studies requirements that aren't likely to transfer to any other school, meaning I may have to do an additional year.
So I'm thinking of taking some time off. I actually really like school; I enjoy learning and I feel like I excel at it. But I can't think of a situation for the immediate future that would allow me to continue in school.
At the same time, the job market is not great. I don't want to leave a "promising path" of good grades and recommendations to work a minimum wage job and never be able to catch up.
Did you take an unconventional route? What was your experience? I'm trying to understand what to expect and whether or not I'm ready to cut the ties with my school for good.
Thanks for your help.
(I'm sick and on painkillers right now, so if any of that is incomprehensible, please let me know.)
posted by griphus at 7:43 AM on December 3, 2010
posted by griphus at 7:43 AM on December 3, 2010
I don't believe you when you say that you can't find a school that interests you that you would be able to afford. If you really believe that, you aren't trying hard enough. Tell us what interests you in schools and I'll bet you a shiny nickel we can find one that you'd excel at.
Seconding griphus here - get out of your college, but do not get out of college. I've never met someone who benefited from a break from college. After all, what are you going to do? The best you can hope for is low-level retail or working at a restaurant. I promise you that those options are less appealing than the options you have right now. Further, many people I've met that "took a break" never returned.
If you enjoy school and excel at it, as you say, don't quit. There are better routes for you. There are some 2300 schools in the United States. I think you'll find one for you.
posted by saeculorum at 7:47 AM on December 3, 2010
Seconding griphus here - get out of your college, but do not get out of college. I've never met someone who benefited from a break from college. After all, what are you going to do? The best you can hope for is low-level retail or working at a restaurant. I promise you that those options are less appealing than the options you have right now. Further, many people I've met that "took a break" never returned.
If you enjoy school and excel at it, as you say, don't quit. There are better routes for you. There are some 2300 schools in the United States. I think you'll find one for you.
posted by saeculorum at 7:47 AM on December 3, 2010
There's two problems. One's worth considering but can be discarded for a good enough reason. The second is a bigger problem, but maybe you can deal with it.
The first you can think of as "compound interest." If you opt to take a year off and can't do something productive for your long-term goals during that time then you're pretty much shaving a year off your future earnings and career advancement.
Meaning, the longer you defer finishing your degree and getting into the workforce the more money and position you're losing. So if you just go work in McDonald's this year you're losing the value of your future salary minus whatever you earn in this "gap year." It also means you're one year behind where you'd be if you finished sooner.
I don't think that's a good enough reason to be miserable, particularly if it's harming your grades and ability to make connections/intern/whatever, but it's worth considering. There is a quantifiable monetary cost to taking a break. Make sure you make it worth it.
The second issue is bigger - inertia. People who leave sometimes have a hard time going back. Maybe it's a small challenge, maybe it's a big one, but there's a definite groove to being in school and getting back to it is tough.
There's a potential third problem - do you have student loans? If you do then you might find yourself obligated to start making payments during this year off, which may or may not be painful for you to manage.
If you're getting a free ride where you are and are unable to find a school right now you'd like to move to, can you stack the deck in favor of credits you think are likely to transfer and start a serious search for a school to go go next September? Meaning, postpone (indefinitely if you manage to xfer) the religious classes, take the useful ones on their time, then bail out?
A free education is worth a lot. I don't think it's a good reason to stay where you're miserable, but you can make this change a smart one. The first two years of a university education are largely interchangeable - it's part of the reason community colleges are such a good financial choice - so if you concentrate on that kind of thing and then move to another school you can make the change less painful and lose less time. Perhaps you'll be a little less unhappy in those sorts of classes as well.
Alternately, is there a community college available to you where you can do more core work while you find a new place to go? Lower costs than some alternatives and you keep your inertia.
posted by phearlez at 7:54 AM on December 3, 2010 [1 favorite]
The first you can think of as "compound interest." If you opt to take a year off and can't do something productive for your long-term goals during that time then you're pretty much shaving a year off your future earnings and career advancement.
Meaning, the longer you defer finishing your degree and getting into the workforce the more money and position you're losing. So if you just go work in McDonald's this year you're losing the value of your future salary minus whatever you earn in this "gap year." It also means you're one year behind where you'd be if you finished sooner.
I don't think that's a good enough reason to be miserable, particularly if it's harming your grades and ability to make connections/intern/whatever, but it's worth considering. There is a quantifiable monetary cost to taking a break. Make sure you make it worth it.
The second issue is bigger - inertia. People who leave sometimes have a hard time going back. Maybe it's a small challenge, maybe it's a big one, but there's a definite groove to being in school and getting back to it is tough.
There's a potential third problem - do you have student loans? If you do then you might find yourself obligated to start making payments during this year off, which may or may not be painful for you to manage.
If you're getting a free ride where you are and are unable to find a school right now you'd like to move to, can you stack the deck in favor of credits you think are likely to transfer and start a serious search for a school to go go next September? Meaning, postpone (indefinitely if you manage to xfer) the religious classes, take the useful ones on their time, then bail out?
A free education is worth a lot. I don't think it's a good reason to stay where you're miserable, but you can make this change a smart one. The first two years of a university education are largely interchangeable - it's part of the reason community colleges are such a good financial choice - so if you concentrate on that kind of thing and then move to another school you can make the change less painful and lose less time. Perhaps you'll be a little less unhappy in those sorts of classes as well.
Alternately, is there a community college available to you where you can do more core work while you find a new place to go? Lower costs than some alternatives and you keep your inertia.
posted by phearlez at 7:54 AM on December 3, 2010 [1 favorite]
I don't have specific advice for what you should do, just some data points from myself and others that I can share.
It's good of you to recognize these issues. First and foremost, don't be this guy who randomly decided to drop all his classes in the middle of the semester and blow the tuition money for the term. You recognize you have other options (taking a year off while you transfer, thinking about other schools, taking a year/semester at community college while you look into other schools, etc.). These other options are good ones.
Second, I took some time off between graduate schools, switching grad schools, and while my life has turned out fine, I wish I hadn't lost that time and focus.
Finally, I have met people who had a bad experience at their fundamentalist colleges that they weren't a good fit for, and their solution was to finish and move on as quickly as possible (even graduating early) and go on to other things. They have very successful careers now. Your remaining 2-3 years will go by REALLY fast, and not everyone's college experience has to be a lifechanging event whose experiences and friendships last a lifetime. So a possible option from that perspective is to get good grades, ace the LSAT, get accepted to a good law school, and move on.
posted by deanc at 7:54 AM on December 3, 2010
It's good of you to recognize these issues. First and foremost, don't be this guy who randomly decided to drop all his classes in the middle of the semester and blow the tuition money for the term. You recognize you have other options (taking a year off while you transfer, thinking about other schools, taking a year/semester at community college while you look into other schools, etc.). These other options are good ones.
Second, I took some time off between graduate schools, switching grad schools, and while my life has turned out fine, I wish I hadn't lost that time and focus.
Finally, I have met people who had a bad experience at their fundamentalist colleges that they weren't a good fit for, and their solution was to finish and move on as quickly as possible (even graduating early) and go on to other things. They have very successful careers now. Your remaining 2-3 years will go by REALLY fast, and not everyone's college experience has to be a lifechanging event whose experiences and friendships last a lifetime. So a possible option from that perspective is to get good grades, ace the LSAT, get accepted to a good law school, and move on.
posted by deanc at 7:54 AM on December 3, 2010
First and foremost, don't be this guy who randomly decided to drop all his classes in the middle of the semester and blow the tuition money for the term.
Oh god this times a million. I dropped out mid-term and had to go through hell and high water to have that semester wiped from my record. The best I could do was a bunch of Ws, which won't look good for grad school but it beats graduating with a GPA <2.
posted by griphus at 7:56 AM on December 3, 2010
Oh god this times a million. I dropped out mid-term and had to go through hell and high water to have that semester wiped from my record. The best I could do was a bunch of Ws, which won't look good for grad school but it beats graduating with a GPA <2.
posted by griphus at 7:56 AM on December 3, 2010
Proofreading fail - take the useful ones on their DIME, then bail out.
posted by phearlez at 7:57 AM on December 3, 2010
posted by phearlez at 7:57 AM on December 3, 2010
I can relate, and I know from personal experience along with a consensus from people I have met who took time off from school, everyone says the same thing: it was entirely worth graduating late.
I decided to study abroad for a year, but my school only allows a semester of credits to transfer, so I took classes that I knew were not going to count for a thing, but I had an amazing time.
Because finances seem to be an issue, there are some options that I can think of off the top of my head: volunteer for an organization which compensates you with room and food, there are some in the US and a lot around the world. Another option, if you enjoy learning in a classroom setting could be attending community college. Many of the professors at community college just love to teach, and that can be a wonderful experience. A more adventurous idea would be to travel around through couch surfing, that would open you up to a whole world of opportunities.
Trust me, I know how you feel, but four years goes fast; and it will go even faster if you take a break, and then return with an amazing journey to power you through the rest of college.
posted by eldvno at 8:00 AM on December 3, 2010
I decided to study abroad for a year, but my school only allows a semester of credits to transfer, so I took classes that I knew were not going to count for a thing, but I had an amazing time.
Because finances seem to be an issue, there are some options that I can think of off the top of my head: volunteer for an organization which compensates you with room and food, there are some in the US and a lot around the world. Another option, if you enjoy learning in a classroom setting could be attending community college. Many of the professors at community college just love to teach, and that can be a wonderful experience. A more adventurous idea would be to travel around through couch surfing, that would open you up to a whole world of opportunities.
Trust me, I know how you feel, but four years goes fast; and it will go even faster if you take a break, and then return with an amazing journey to power you through the rest of college.
posted by eldvno at 8:00 AM on December 3, 2010
I had to put in some extra time when I transferred (went from a BFA program to a BS program) and I took some community college in-between to catch up on some of the basics. It was cheaper than a 4-year school, and gave me a little time to think about the big picture.
Mr. Arkham quit school almost 20 years ago and is now on track (after community college!) to get his BA. But he's also got a lot of adult responsibilities, and it's slow going and stressful.
First and foremost, don't be this guy who randomly decided to drop all his classes in the middle of the semester and blow the tuition money for the term.
Oh, and since he dropped out without withdrawing, he not only lost his tuition money but he is on permanent academic probation. 20 years later!
posted by JoanArkham at 8:02 AM on December 3, 2010
Mr. Arkham quit school almost 20 years ago and is now on track (after community college!) to get his BA. But he's also got a lot of adult responsibilities, and it's slow going and stressful.
First and foremost, don't be this guy who randomly decided to drop all his classes in the middle of the semester and blow the tuition money for the term.
Oh, and since he dropped out without withdrawing, he not only lost his tuition money but he is on permanent academic probation. 20 years later!
posted by JoanArkham at 8:02 AM on December 3, 2010
Major in science or math or computer science instead. Or economics. It doesn't matter what you major in for law school and these classes will likely be more challenging with more motivated students.
posted by anniecat at 8:05 AM on December 3, 2010
posted by anniecat at 8:05 AM on December 3, 2010
Additionally, my school has tons of Bible Study, Theology, and Religious Studies requirements that aren't likely to transfer to any other school, meaning I may have to do an additional year.
They should count as humanities general requirements; most large universities have religious studies departments. They might not all transfer to something useful, but I doubt that none of them will. Inquire about this with some other university registrars before assuming it.
posted by a robot made out of meat at 8:07 AM on December 3, 2010
They should count as humanities general requirements; most large universities have religious studies departments. They might not all transfer to something useful, but I doubt that none of them will. Inquire about this with some other university registrars before assuming it.
posted by a robot made out of meat at 8:07 AM on December 3, 2010
"Additionally, my school has tons of Bible Study, Theology, and Religious Studies requirements that aren't likely to transfer to any other school, meaning I may have to do an additional year."
Check into this. Bible Study, no, but theology and religious studies are legitimate fields of academic endeavor that are studied at many, many universities across the US and the credits may easily transfer. (It depends on what they're lumping into "theology" and "religious studies," of course.) And related to that, see how many of your "distribution requirements" you can knock off, while leaving the "religious studies" stuff for as late in your studies as possible, if you're planning on transferring. You'll get more useful transferable credits that way, PROBABLY. But I would seriously take a look at your Flagship State University and read their transfer policies and maybe talk to someone in the transfer office about which of your credits would transfer. Often (though of course not always), if the Flagship State U takes them, everyone in the state U system will, and many private colleges will. It's a good baseline so you know what you're talking about w/r/t transferring.
I teach at a community college and we get TONS of students for summer classes who are full-time enrolled during the year, trying to finish faster or to get transfer credits in order. That's a good idea. You can also probably do online classes at a local CC during the regular semester. (Or maybe through a local state u.)
Your college also may offer sabbaticals so you could take a semester off without losing your scholarship money and go do something that interests you, help you get a little breathing space about transferring or taking a break or going straight through.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 8:09 AM on December 3, 2010
Check into this. Bible Study, no, but theology and religious studies are legitimate fields of academic endeavor that are studied at many, many universities across the US and the credits may easily transfer. (It depends on what they're lumping into "theology" and "religious studies," of course.) And related to that, see how many of your "distribution requirements" you can knock off, while leaving the "religious studies" stuff for as late in your studies as possible, if you're planning on transferring. You'll get more useful transferable credits that way, PROBABLY. But I would seriously take a look at your Flagship State University and read their transfer policies and maybe talk to someone in the transfer office about which of your credits would transfer. Often (though of course not always), if the Flagship State U takes them, everyone in the state U system will, and many private colleges will. It's a good baseline so you know what you're talking about w/r/t transferring.
I teach at a community college and we get TONS of students for summer classes who are full-time enrolled during the year, trying to finish faster or to get transfer credits in order. That's a good idea. You can also probably do online classes at a local CC during the regular semester. (Or maybe through a local state u.)
Your college also may offer sabbaticals so you could take a semester off without losing your scholarship money and go do something that interests you, help you get a little breathing space about transferring or taking a break or going straight through.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 8:09 AM on December 3, 2010
I don't want to leave a "promising path" of good grades and recommendations to work a minimum wage job and never be able to catch up.
Also, I know plenty of people who had very good grades in humanities and social sciences (at a very prestigious college) and then worked at coffee shops and retail afterwards. The ones who didn't either went to grad school or were able to convince Wall Street/consulting firms to take them on (very few people that particular economic downturn year) or went with Teach for America (when it was less selective than it is now). With grade inflation at the high school and college level, nearly everybody who majored in social sciences or humanities is on a "promising path" but you have to be very lucky for it to turn into immediate work success, unless you were a CS major.
posted by anniecat at 8:11 AM on December 3, 2010
Also, I know plenty of people who had very good grades in humanities and social sciences (at a very prestigious college) and then worked at coffee shops and retail afterwards. The ones who didn't either went to grad school or were able to convince Wall Street/consulting firms to take them on (very few people that particular economic downturn year) or went with Teach for America (when it was less selective than it is now). With grade inflation at the high school and college level, nearly everybody who majored in social sciences or humanities is on a "promising path" but you have to be very lucky for it to turn into immediate work success, unless you were a CS major.
posted by anniecat at 8:11 AM on December 3, 2010
Response by poster: Thanks so much for your responses so far, I really appreciate the perspective from both sides.
Just wanted to clear a few things up:
-I'm getting some serious scholarship money at my current university, but it's not a full ride. I'm still putting out several thousand dollars a year and taking out student loans. Because it's still costing me a significant amount of money, I can't justify sitting through classes that aren't teaching me anything.
-I'm really not interested in math or computer science. I love studying Poli Sci; I love studying Humanities. I really hate studying them within my school's framework.
-I have a rough plan to transfer to another school in Portland, but I just can't afford it right now. If I were to move home for a year and work it would offset the costs a bit, and I would be able to take some community college classes to knock out GE requirements and possibly graduate in 2 additional years. It would be ideal to transfer there next year, but I don't want to bury myself in student loans.
Thanks again for your experiences and opinions.
posted by karminai at 8:19 AM on December 3, 2010
Just wanted to clear a few things up:
-I'm getting some serious scholarship money at my current university, but it's not a full ride. I'm still putting out several thousand dollars a year and taking out student loans. Because it's still costing me a significant amount of money, I can't justify sitting through classes that aren't teaching me anything.
-I'm really not interested in math or computer science. I love studying Poli Sci; I love studying Humanities. I really hate studying them within my school's framework.
-I have a rough plan to transfer to another school in Portland, but I just can't afford it right now. If I were to move home for a year and work it would offset the costs a bit, and I would be able to take some community college classes to knock out GE requirements and possibly graduate in 2 additional years. It would be ideal to transfer there next year, but I don't want to bury myself in student loans.
Thanks again for your experiences and opinions.
posted by karminai at 8:19 AM on December 3, 2010
Response by poster: Ooops, and to clarify about the THEO credits: In three semesters, I've been required to take six THEO classes, so the equivalent of 18 credits. I will be taking two more next semester, leaving me with 24 THEO credits. Some of these will almost certainly transfer, but no school I've looked at has anywhere near the religion requirement that my university does, which leaves me with some useless classes. I have no control over my schedule for next semester, as I'm studying abroad and our class schedule is rigid.
I really appreciate this: Your college also may offer sabbaticals so you could take a semester off without losing your scholarship money and go do something that interests you, help you get a little breathing space about transferring or taking a break or going straight through.
I will definitely look into that.
posted by karminai at 8:25 AM on December 3, 2010
I really appreciate this: Your college also may offer sabbaticals so you could take a semester off without losing your scholarship money and go do something that interests you, help you get a little breathing space about transferring or taking a break or going straight through.
I will definitely look into that.
posted by karminai at 8:25 AM on December 3, 2010
Don't be penny wise and pound foolish. Let's say you make $40K out of college and $20K working for a year. You might gain $20K with the latter route, but even if you take $20K in loans, you'll be in exactly the same financial situation at the end of both of them. Except in the latter route, you're no closer to a degree.
PS - you have a Tier 2 college right in your own city via Portland State University, and they only charge ~$6500/year for residents. Tier 1 (and with a beautiful campus) University of Oregon is only 100 miles away, and it actually charges less!
posted by saeculorum at 8:28 AM on December 3, 2010
PS - you have a Tier 2 college right in your own city via Portland State University, and they only charge ~$6500/year for residents. Tier 1 (and with a beautiful campus) University of Oregon is only 100 miles away, and it actually charges less!
posted by saeculorum at 8:28 AM on December 3, 2010
I can't justify sitting through classes that aren't teaching me anything.
I'm really not interested in math or computer science.
I'm not aware of any college that lets you get around this. You will have to take classes you don't like/aren't interested in, and you will have to pass them. It'll be a life lesson with putting up with all sorts of crap you don't like because people with authority over you have demanded it, regardless of your feelings. Even if you manage to get around it, you'll still have to deal with it in Life, on a daily basis. My school has Pass Overrides that let you replace foundation class grades with Pass grade retroactively so a passing-C won't screw up your GPA. Look into that.
posted by griphus at 8:35 AM on December 3, 2010
I'm really not interested in math or computer science.
I'm not aware of any college that lets you get around this. You will have to take classes you don't like/aren't interested in, and you will have to pass them. It'll be a life lesson with putting up with all sorts of crap you don't like because people with authority over you have demanded it, regardless of your feelings. Even if you manage to get around it, you'll still have to deal with it in Life, on a daily basis. My school has Pass Overrides that let you replace foundation class grades with Pass grade retroactively so a passing-C won't screw up your GPA. Look into that.
posted by griphus at 8:35 AM on December 3, 2010
Ooops, and to clarify about the THEO credits: In three semesters, I've been required to take six THEO classes, so the equivalent of 18 credits. I will be taking two more next semester, leaving me with 24 THEO credits. Some of these will almost certainly transfer, but no school I've looked at has anywhere near the religion requirement that my university does, which leaves me with some useless classes.
Classes that don't directly transfer to a requirement in a new school might still count as credits toward your degree. Mine did.
Now is not a great time to leave college and join the job market. I would suggest working harder on transferring for the 2011-2012 school year.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 8:43 AM on December 3, 2010
Classes that don't directly transfer to a requirement in a new school might still count as credits toward your degree. Mine did.
Now is not a great time to leave college and join the job market. I would suggest working harder on transferring for the 2011-2012 school year.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 8:43 AM on December 3, 2010
Response by poster: (The math/computer science comment was in response to the suggestion that I change my major. I've already taken a few math classes and I'm definitely willing to take classes outside of my primary interests, but I don't have any problem with majoring in Political Science and don't plan on changing my major.)
posted by karminai at 8:46 AM on December 3, 2010
posted by karminai at 8:46 AM on December 3, 2010
How do you know you won't get scholarship money at another university? Have you already applied?
I would also second attending a public university - they are cheap, and I am really not convinced their quality is any less than most private universities (Ivies and such probably excluded.)
But to answer your question - I did this. I dropped out of my (private) university where I was getting an almost full ride after 2.5 years. I just realized I didn't like my program, didn't love the school, and hated the city where I was living. It wasn't worth being miserable (and directionless) for another 1.5 years. You only get one life! So I took a year off, got an office job, applied to other schools with the program I decided I wanted, and ended up getting a full ride at my top choice. I start in about a month. I WILL end up having an extra year, but I will be in a city I love, close to my family, tuition will be free, I'll have more career and networking opportunities, and most importantly I will be happier.
Here's what you should do:
Start looking around and applying for schools NOW. Start the momentum before you leave.
Decide right now, PROMISE yourself, that you WILL be going back in X amount of time, no matter what.
Find a job that brings in money, and preferably transferable skills, but don't worry about loving it. It will make it easier to go back to school if you're really ready to leave your job.
Don't listen to people who say this never works. It does. Sometimes risks pay off.
Don't tell yourself being unhappy is a fair trade. It isn't. In the long run money is just money, and one or two year's worth won't matter. Having good memories instead of bad ones will, though.
posted by ohsnapdragon at 8:55 AM on December 3, 2010
I would also second attending a public university - they are cheap, and I am really not convinced their quality is any less than most private universities (Ivies and such probably excluded.)
But to answer your question - I did this. I dropped out of my (private) university where I was getting an almost full ride after 2.5 years. I just realized I didn't like my program, didn't love the school, and hated the city where I was living. It wasn't worth being miserable (and directionless) for another 1.5 years. You only get one life! So I took a year off, got an office job, applied to other schools with the program I decided I wanted, and ended up getting a full ride at my top choice. I start in about a month. I WILL end up having an extra year, but I will be in a city I love, close to my family, tuition will be free, I'll have more career and networking opportunities, and most importantly I will be happier.
Here's what you should do:
Start looking around and applying for schools NOW. Start the momentum before you leave.
Decide right now, PROMISE yourself, that you WILL be going back in X amount of time, no matter what.
Find a job that brings in money, and preferably transferable skills, but don't worry about loving it. It will make it easier to go back to school if you're really ready to leave your job.
Don't listen to people who say this never works. It does. Sometimes risks pay off.
Don't tell yourself being unhappy is a fair trade. It isn't. In the long run money is just money, and one or two year's worth won't matter. Having good memories instead of bad ones will, though.
posted by ohsnapdragon at 8:55 AM on December 3, 2010
no school I've looked at has anywhere near the religion requirement that my university does, which leaves me with some useless classes.
The closest lemons-to-lemonade I can suggest for this would be a double major or minor in religious studies. Which for a poly sci person wouldn't necessarily be useless - the role of religion in society ain't exactly a small thing.
posted by phearlez at 8:56 AM on December 3, 2010
The closest lemons-to-lemonade I can suggest for this would be a double major or minor in religious studies. Which for a poly sci person wouldn't necessarily be useless - the role of religion in society ain't exactly a small thing.
posted by phearlez at 8:56 AM on December 3, 2010
Also - many people take more than 4 years to graduate now-a-days, whether from switching their major or studying abroad or taking a year off or whatever. Don't worry about that.
posted by ohsnapdragon at 8:57 AM on December 3, 2010
posted by ohsnapdragon at 8:57 AM on December 3, 2010
I took two breaks (and transferred twice) before finishing my BA. Taking the time off was absolutely not a mistake, and in the end I wound up at a state school that was much cheaper and much better for me than the highfalutin private school I started out at.
In hindisight, though, I wish I'd had a clearer plan. I had this vague idea that I was going to do something during my time off, but.... well, I never did figure out what, and I wound up just killing time and working shitty jobs, and before I knew it a year had gone by. I wish I'd just picked something — anything — right from the get-go: "Okay, I'm gonna take that community college welding class I was daydreaming about." "I'm gonna really put some serious time in at a nonprofit." "I'm gonna start lifting weights." "I'm gonna go around and offer to make webpages for some people I know, and see if anyone takes me up on it." Whatever.
Remember: a year off from school is not a year off from life. It's a year of your life like any other year, and there's all kinds of stuff you can do with it. This ought to be reassuring (it means you won't necessarily be ZOMG FALLING BEHIND) but it does also mean you should be deliberate about how you spend it.
posted by nebulawindphone at 9:47 AM on December 3, 2010 [1 favorite]
In hindisight, though, I wish I'd had a clearer plan. I had this vague idea that I was going to do something during my time off, but.... well, I never did figure out what, and I wound up just killing time and working shitty jobs, and before I knew it a year had gone by. I wish I'd just picked something — anything — right from the get-go: "Okay, I'm gonna take that community college welding class I was daydreaming about." "I'm gonna really put some serious time in at a nonprofit." "I'm gonna start lifting weights." "I'm gonna go around and offer to make webpages for some people I know, and see if anyone takes me up on it." Whatever.
Remember: a year off from school is not a year off from life. It's a year of your life like any other year, and there's all kinds of stuff you can do with it. This ought to be reassuring (it means you won't necessarily be ZOMG FALLING BEHIND) but it does also mean you should be deliberate about how you spend it.
posted by nebulawindphone at 9:47 AM on December 3, 2010 [1 favorite]
I took a year and a half off after my sophomore year (good academic standing, ended up switching majors from a music program I hated to biochemistry upon return), and the FAFSA for my junior year was based on the income I had earned the previous year. With no college degree and lots of unpaid vacation, I made something like $22,000 – you're pretty much considered impoverished at that level, so I got a free ride at my expensive private university. Then I turned 24 just before FAFSA was due for my senior year, and got to a free ride for my senior year since I was considered independent from my parents due to my age.
posted by halogen at 10:25 AM on December 3, 2010
posted by halogen at 10:25 AM on December 3, 2010
I'm of two minds here.
On the one hand, I did this after my freshman year and it ultimately was a good experience for me. That year I took off really helped to shape me into the person I am today.
On the other hand? I gave up a lot, academically and in terms of future opportunity, because of that choice. After taking a year off, I transferred to a much less prestigious school and some career options were off the table. In hindsight, I sort of wish I'd suffered through another semester and transferred somewhere that was a better fit as a school.
So while I think it could be a good thing, please be aware that there may be sacrifices involved - sacrifices that might turn out to be more significant than you realize now.
posted by Sara C. at 11:02 AM on December 3, 2010
On the one hand, I did this after my freshman year and it ultimately was a good experience for me. That year I took off really helped to shape me into the person I am today.
On the other hand? I gave up a lot, academically and in terms of future opportunity, because of that choice. After taking a year off, I transferred to a much less prestigious school and some career options were off the table. In hindsight, I sort of wish I'd suffered through another semester and transferred somewhere that was a better fit as a school.
So while I think it could be a good thing, please be aware that there may be sacrifices involved - sacrifices that might turn out to be more significant than you realize now.
posted by Sara C. at 11:02 AM on December 3, 2010
With grade inflation at the high school and college level, nearly everybody who majored in social sciences or humanities is on a "promising path" but you have to be very lucky for it to turn into immediate work success, unless you were a CS major.
Granted I graduated before the current recession, but I graduated in a humanities field and had a better-than-retail job before I even finished school. Most of my friends from college also graduated in the arts or humanities, and they all are also doing just fine.
This might be a function of the economy when we graduated vs. the current economy, but I wouldn't choose your whole life's career path based on how the economy was doing when you were a sophomore in college.
posted by Sara C. at 11:14 AM on December 3, 2010
Granted I graduated before the current recession, but I graduated in a humanities field and had a better-than-retail job before I even finished school. Most of my friends from college also graduated in the arts or humanities, and they all are also doing just fine.
This might be a function of the economy when we graduated vs. the current economy, but I wouldn't choose your whole life's career path based on how the economy was doing when you were a sophomore in college.
posted by Sara C. at 11:14 AM on December 3, 2010
I have taken classes at PSU and PCC, and at PSU in particular I've been pleased with the quality of the instruction. I have a friend in a humanties program who likes it - the interesting class material overrides the disengaged classmates. Don't discount the public institutions in PDX, if you haven't been considering them.
posted by momus_window at 11:24 AM on December 3, 2010
posted by momus_window at 11:24 AM on December 3, 2010
Some schools are more continuations of high school, in terms of the student body, while other schools are a diverse mix of ages and backgrounds. If you fear being out of place by being set back a year or two, look for a more diverse campus. My program started out as all kids who just graduated high school, myself included. In the second year, a number of classmates had changed majors, but there was a significant influx of people who were continuing their education from somewhere else, and I loved that. It made our classes more diverse.
As for the money, if you take a year off and take GE courses at a community college, you can also spend time looking for grants that could help off-set your future costs. The community college should also have some folks who could help you find grants, or you could check with the local library, if you're having a hard time finding grants or low-interest loans.
Other thoughts: how many years do you have left? How well does your school do in terms of getting students into law schools that you'd like to attend? If you can struggle to the end of this program and have a good shot at getting into a program you really like elsewhere, find ways to make life more then meaningless classes. Would you work in a job you really didn't like for two years, if it meant having much better opportunities down the line? If so, think of school as a job. Try to find some enjoyment in it, but live your life for the time out of class.
But if this school is only a decent school, and it takes all your time in the most miserable of ways, giving you no leg up over other foreseeable options, cut your losses and leave after this term is over.
posted by filthy light thief at 11:26 AM on December 3, 2010
As for the money, if you take a year off and take GE courses at a community college, you can also spend time looking for grants that could help off-set your future costs. The community college should also have some folks who could help you find grants, or you could check with the local library, if you're having a hard time finding grants or low-interest loans.
Other thoughts: how many years do you have left? How well does your school do in terms of getting students into law schools that you'd like to attend? If you can struggle to the end of this program and have a good shot at getting into a program you really like elsewhere, find ways to make life more then meaningless classes. Would you work in a job you really didn't like for two years, if it meant having much better opportunities down the line? If so, think of school as a job. Try to find some enjoyment in it, but live your life for the time out of class.
But if this school is only a decent school, and it takes all your time in the most miserable of ways, giving you no leg up over other foreseeable options, cut your losses and leave after this term is over.
posted by filthy light thief at 11:26 AM on December 3, 2010
It took me ten years to get my undergraduate degree and I started law school 4 years after that. There is very little that I would change if I could. The biggest plus is that it changes your mindset about school. It allows it to become something that you do as part of your life as opposed to something you have to slog through to get to your "real" life. this was most noticeable in law school. Us second- career people saw it as a great opportunity -- a time to take stock and learn; to reevaluate what to do with our lives; and to have responsibilities to no one but ourselves (granted, this was back when the prospects for new lawyers was rosy). For the folk going straigth through, it looked like drudgery and it was the end a real long slog.
Granted, my retirement fund would be in much better shape if I powered through, but other than that I can't think of any disadvantages.
posted by rtimmel at 12:28 PM on December 3, 2010
Granted, my retirement fund would be in much better shape if I powered through, but other than that I can't think of any disadvantages.
posted by rtimmel at 12:28 PM on December 3, 2010
I will be taking two more next semester...
Why are you taking more THEO classes if they won't transfer? Talk to admissions councilors at the school(s) you are interested in, learn what will and will not transfer, and beef up on those that will transfer.
posted by fermezporte at 4:44 AM on December 4, 2010
Why are you taking more THEO classes if they won't transfer? Talk to admissions councilors at the school(s) you are interested in, learn what will and will not transfer, and beef up on those that will transfer.
posted by fermezporte at 4:44 AM on December 4, 2010
"a double major or minor in religious studies."
If it helps at all, I double-majored in political science and in theology, and went to law school on that degree. It did help with my applications because every jackass in the world with a poli sci degree applies to law school; the theology made my application stand out a bit.
Again, though, it depends on what particular school you're going to and whether all this religious study is catechetical or academic in nature. My theology degree was from an extremely well-respected school and was very rigorous and academic; it was not about sitting in a circle, singing Kumbaya, and learning about why we Upright Foresqure Lifeway Christians love Jesus better than other people do. 'Cause there are definitely "degrees" in the latter, too.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 9:28 AM on December 4, 2010
If it helps at all, I double-majored in political science and in theology, and went to law school on that degree. It did help with my applications because every jackass in the world with a poli sci degree applies to law school; the theology made my application stand out a bit.
Again, though, it depends on what particular school you're going to and whether all this religious study is catechetical or academic in nature. My theology degree was from an extremely well-respected school and was very rigorous and academic; it was not about sitting in a circle, singing Kumbaya, and learning about why we Upright Foresqure Lifeway Christians love Jesus better than other people do. 'Cause there are definitely "degrees" in the latter, too.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 9:28 AM on December 4, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
I seriously suggest you transfer to a secular school school before dropping out. Yes, you'll have to be there longer, but I know very few people who finished their education in 4 years. The 4-year B.A. is slowly becoming a myth at this point. Expand your interests and find somewhere new rather than leaving.
posted by griphus at 7:42 AM on December 3, 2010 [6 favorites]