Becoming an adult is never easy. Especially since it's right out of high school. The stress can be unreal. You're expected to have your whole future planned out and ready when, not long ago, you were still being told you had to ask permission to use the bathroom. But yes, let me tell you, I will DEFINITELY have my plan for the rest of my life ready for you by Tuesday.

It's just not gonna be this Tuesday.

Graduation day ends and the rest of your life begins. The world is your oyster. Here's a rough outline of what is 'relatively' expected of you throughout your next few years of college:

- Go to College

- Pay for college on your own

- Get a job to pay for college

- Don't work too much and forget about your school work

- Don't call out of work to finish your paper though, that will look bad

- Pay bills

- Pay student loans off

- Graduate on time

- Afford a home on your own

- Get a job in your field

- But have 5+ years of experience before getting the job in your field

The list can go on and on.

College can cause so much stress for anyone, let alone a kid fresh out of high school. Some are able to take the tasks at hand with as little as 1-2 breakdowns a month. Others not so much. The stress can affect certain people more than most. I found myself struggling to handle everything that was being thrown on my plate.

So I took a break.

I can already see some older adults rolling their eyes, but college is very different than it was 20 years ago. It's more expensive and the amount we have to pay, while also trying to save up to get a house, it's not impossible, but it's more difficult than meets the eye. I knew that if I didn't take this time off, I wouldn't have just a minor episode, I'd break down altogether.

Of course, there are the ups and downs of taking time off of college, one of the little cons is that you won't graduate on time. But, here's the thing about that:

Practically no one graduates on time.

Yes, some are able to achieve that goal of graduating college within the four-year time span, but you'll find it is much more common for people to take about 5-6 years, some longer to get their degree. There's nothing wrong with that, life happens, people learn at different paces, etc.

The pros of taking time off, the list could go on for a while. So here are just a few, from my experience.

- I was able to practically pay off all the loans I had taken out for my first two years of college by working full time

- I figured out exactly what I want to do once I get my degree in my field

- I actually got better at figuring out how to manage my time best fit for me

There are so many pros, the one that tops the list is that I was able to figure out who I am. I was struggling with this for years and was hoping I'd find it while in college. Turns out I did, just not while I was taking classes. The time off gave me the opportunity to find out what made me happy, not so much what makes everyone else happy. Without taking time off, I don't know where I'd be standing right now.

(Except maybe under a crap ton of student loan debt.)

Now, I'm not saying everyone should take time off from college. Some people it's better for them to work right through. But if you're like me and feel the stress eating away at your insides and want to take the break, but are scared of what people may say, take the break. It may just be the thing you need to get you back on track. I'm so grateful I did.