Have you ever felt like just quitting? College, I mean. Some take time off purposefully – to travel, to make financial gains, or simply because they are unsure their direction. Some take time off due to unavoidable situations – mental illness, deaths, or lack of financial resources.

Upon looking into this topic, I found an article from Psych Central, in which they outlined five “good” reasons to take time off of college. These five reasons are; (1) if you find yourself unprepared for college-level work, (2) if you are unsure what you want to study, (3) if a family crisis or (4) major life decision is distracting you, or (5) if you are so stressed out that you are not happy. This week I toured the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse to discover how students felt about taking time off from school.

Senior Sarah Stepanik explained that she is a student who will take time off. Stepanik says, “I definitely wasn’t going to take time off of school. Because I am going back for my Masters, I decided to take time off, between graduating in May and going back for Masters. I study Archeology, so for us, we are encouraged to get PhDs, it is kind of frowned upon to take time off. But I think for financial reasons, especially for me, it was a good decision.”

It seemed most students I talked with had at least considered taking time off. College, even life in general, can be tough and challenging, and oftentimes I doubt whether I am doing the right thing in the right place. It was refreshing to hear that I wasn’t the only one.

Sophomore Brandon Itson-Zoske explained his thoughts on the topic. “I’ve always thought about taking a semester off, but I was too concerned with not coming back. I thought about it to start working and volunteering.”

In regards to stereotypes associated with taking time off, freshman Samantha Gostisha said, “I think taking the first year off to travel is a good idea, because then when we get out of school you have to go right to your job. But I also think people have opinions that if people take a semester off then they don’t come back.”

I found by conversing with students on campus that most of them do feel there are situations in which it is appropriate to take time off of school. Some concluded that there would be concerns; most commonly the belief that if you take time off you may not return. What I also found, however, was that most of the students understood that sometimes, life just happens, and the more we try to stay in control and navigate, the less in control we become. When it comes to situations in which our future and happiness is at stake, I think it comes down to knowing ourselves, trusting our instincts, and making the decision that best suits us.