This semester, college campuses look very different than they have in the past. Some universities, like mine, are almost entirely online. Others have a hybrid of in-person and online, and others are all in-person. Regardless, the adjustment back to school has been challenging, to say the least. Because of these challenges, as well as feeling like I’m not getting everything out of my education, I have decided to take a semester off from school.
Before I had even arrived back on campus this semester, I was already thinking about taking a semester off. Adjusting to online classes last semester was really challenging, especially because no one knew exactly how to go about it. I had a better idea of what to expect this semester, but adjusting to all online classes again was draining and not great. Staring at a computer screen all day is so challenging, especially when it feels like there’s always something pulling our attention elsewhere. I found it hard to focus on my classes, and to devote as much attention and time as I should. So, I decided that taking a semester off was the best decision.
Because the world is constantly changing every day, and COVID affects all the decisions that we make, I’m not entirely sure what I will do next semester. I already sublet my apartment for the upcoming semester, so I definitely won’t return to campus. At the moment, my best friend and I are planning on doing something together – we have tentative plans to go to Mexico (which seems kind of crazy), or a road trip around the country (all while being COVID safe, of course). I find it hard to justify paying thousands of dollars to sit in my apartment and watch Zoom lectures all day. I would much rather save my money, and actually attend college when I can have the college experience that I intended to have.
Personally, I never considered taking a semester off from college – I had a very clear idea of what I was “supposed” to do with my life, and part of that was to go to college right after high school for four years. But, with COVID disrupting life in so many ways, it’s made me realize that there isn’t actually a specific “plan” that we have to follow – and so much of the time, that ‘plan’ gets disrupted. I think trying to adapt and be flexible when the plans do change is the best we can do.
