Let’s be honest: college can suck. The food can be bland, your friends can get on your nerves, and the midterms are always a nightmare. Professors expect way too much from us, and so do our parents back home. (Plus, things are made especially difficult if you’re studying during a pandemic.) The pressure is enormous, so it’s no wonder that sometimes, we feel like we need a break.
However, for most of us, that ‘break’ just means taking a night off from homework to binge Netflix for six hours. Occasionally, though, just one night off doesn’t feel like it’s enough. For some students, college can get so exhausting that they begin to wonder why they’re there at all.
If that sounds like you, don’t worry – you’re not alone. Many students take time off from college to focus on their mental health. Still, it’s daunting to decide to step back from pursuing your degree. If it’s something you’re considering, here are four important questions to ask yourself:
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What exactly is my motivation?
If you’re knee-deep in overdue essays and impossible problem sets, time off can start to look very tempting, just because it will mean you won’t have to deal with your homework anymore. However, it might be a good idea to wait until you’ve handed in those assignments to see if you still want to leave just as badly. Time off isn’t about not doing schoolwork just because you don’t feel like it; instead, it’s about re-focusing your attention and giving yourself a break if you need one. While the reasons for leaving vary, mental health often plays a big role. Ask yourself: Is it still healthy for me to be at college? Will I get more out of my classes if I take them when I’m in a better headspace? (Okay, these are kind of questions-within-a-question, but you get the idea.) Also, important note to remember: extensions are a thing! Which leads me to my next question…
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Have I exhausted all my resources here?
Just because you’re feeling overwhelmed doesn’t mean you have to leave. There are definitely resources for students who seek them out. At Williams specifically, we have great therapists at Integrative Wellbeing Services, a psychologist who’s on-call 24/7, group therapy, and Campus Safety and Security shuttles to the pharmacy every weekday if you need to pick up medication. Your fellow classmates want to help too; there’s also Peer Health, which offers one-on-one talk therapy in Paresky, and the Mental Health Committee, which hosts events like You Are Not Alone that feature other students sharing their own mental health struggles. Finally, the Academic Resources office can also help you negotiate with your professors to give you more flexibility with deadlines and class attendance.
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What am I going to do with my time off?
Let’s say you’ve tried all of that, though, and none of it seems to be helping. Well, what would you be doing if you weren’t here? If you’re taking time off to jump into something else that’s just as stressful, that might not be the best solution. Make sure that, if you do choose to leave campus, you’re going to really commit to caring for yourself. Make a plan, write down self-care methods, exercise if you can, journal… Taking a leave of absence means that you’re putting your health first, so don’t forget to, you know, do that. If you feel like your healthiest self right now is somebody who is sitting on your couch back home, munching on popcorn and watching The Real, then you should listen to that voice. Your body knows when it needs some TLC!
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What’s stopping me?
The biggest hurdle for college students who are considering taking a break from college is usually FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out). It makes sense – your whole life is on campus, including all of your friends and extracurriculars, so the idea of leaving that behind can be kind of terrifying. It’s especially scary to think of your friends moving on and graduating without you by their side. But, remember to think first and foremost about what you need. It may not seem like it now, but everyone’s lives take different paths, and it’s perfectly fine if your journey doesn’t look exactly like your friends’. In a few years, you’ll all be making wildly diverse choices anyway.
So: yes, deciding to take time off from college can be frightening. But it can also be an incredibly rewarding experience, and if you choose to come back, you’ll likely return with fresh motivation and a renewed eagerness to learn. Give yourself a chance to self-reflect, and if you still feel like time off is the right option, then don’t be afraid to follow your instincts.