The moment you tell someone you're going to or are currently taking a semester off, they'll look at you like you're never going back. They might roll their eyes, raise a brow, scoff, or even laugh. Some people will be supportive, others not so much...

Then comes your own thoughts and concerns. It's hard not to wonder if you made the wrong decision when you see other students never return to school, or you see how much crap they had to deal with when it came to people finding out about their break. It's probably the biggest con about whether to make this decision or not.

For me, personally, I chose to take off mainly because of stress and exhaustion.

For a full year, I took a total of 9 classes which isn't too unusual, but one class was during the summer so I basically didn't have a summer break for the first time and I definitely regretted it when I came back and finish another semester of classes.

My break was a good time to really relax and think about what I wanted to do in the future. I was someone who changed their major and career too many times. I never really knew what I wanted and during a semester off I decided to go into Communications. If I wouldn't have left, I would of spent money on unnecessary classes because I was no longer going to my first choice.

Now, I believe there are far more pros than cons. When I decided to leave for a semester, it was at a time I was still figuring out what major to go with. I was considering Criminal Justice, but through the free time I had, I changed my mind and went with Communications as stated above.

Going into a fresh semester was great because I was relaxed and had a lot more energy to start the year off fresh. Of course, I did wonder if I made a mistake when it came to getting slightly behind or missing out on graduating with my friends, but everyone at college is in a different stage of their life. There are different ages, different majors, and I really didn't mind the extra time it might take me to graduate.

The reason I don't believe it fits everyone's lifestyle is that some people really might not come back because they got too relaxed during their time off and they don't want the stress of homework and tests. It also might help some people to just get through school and finish it as quickly as they can because they already know what they want to do. Maybe they want to get a job quicker, or maybe it might just be detrimental for them to waste time. If you are thinking about it, think every little thing through. Figure out what the pro's and con's are, decide if it's worth it.

I know that for me, I will never regret my decision because I figured out what I wanted to do.

Do your research and go through all of the stops before you decide. You might be happy you did it, or you might feel the opposite at the end of the semester.