So many people stress the "graduate high school and then go to college the semester after high school" trend. That's not a very healthy mindset, especially when schools try to teach students to be so well rounded that the result is a lot of graduating students don't know what they want to do. Not knowing your major right away isn't bad. In fact, it's good to just explore the things that you like to do and want to do for a future career.

I'm here to tell you the opposite of jumping into college. Take that semester off. Or even that year off. It's okay to do something different. It's okay to want to work and save money and travel or not even travel. You can stay at home and work and even read. Do what you think is right for you right now. And even if what's right for you is staying in school and finishing your degree. That's amazing! Do it then but please don't tell someone it was a dumb idea to take some time off or even fully drop out of school because if they didn't ask you then don't state your opinion about it. It's hard enough that family and friends don't really understand but adding people to the equation that don't really know me and say something that they don't know anything about just gets annoying and defeating if I'm being completely honest.

Taking a semester off of college was the best thing that I ever did. Working full-time and doing things that I enjoy really has opened my eyes to the world and I've got to do a lot of things that I wouldn't have been able to do if I was in college. Things like going to Canada, New York City, and becoming a youth leader at my church. Those are some of the best things that I've ever done and none of them would have been possible if I didn't take a semester off.

I've saved more money than I've ever saved and I've grown my friendships because I have the time now to hang out and get coffee with people instead of doing homework every second I can get. I've learned that taking care of myself is more important than expecting someone else to take care of me and I learned that it's okay to not want to go back to school but it's also okay to want to go back to school and pick a totally different major.

Going to college shouldn't be something painful and something a student doesn't look forward to. Learning about what career you want should be exciting and a student should look forward to it. I know that going back this next semester is going to be exciting but also stressful with working but I know what I want to do and I know I can do it.

Taking a semester off didn't train my brain to think I didn't want to go back like I thought it would but I taught myself to enjoy being in the present and to want to better myself and continue my education. So many people want to believe that going to college right away is the only way but it's not. You're still young. There are things to do, places to see, people to meet. It's truly a wonderful thing to find out who you are without the pressures of grades, homework, and paying tuition.