Time Off from College: Harmful or Beneficial?

College is one of the most important decisions a graduating high school senior will have to make to determine their future. Time off from college can either be beneficial to a high school student or harmful to him/her. Many students take time off before entering college because they are not confident in how they will be able to afford tuition, they are unsure of the direction to travel to become successful in the world, or they have made life long affecting decision prior to college. The reasons students choose to take time off from college can have lifelong effects on their life.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics college can range from 8,000 dollars to 33,000 dollars per year, the price of tuition discourages students to continue their education. After completing a 4 year degree one student can be in debt for an extremely long time which has a negative effect on adulthood because the time spent working only pays off the debt created to complete college. Loans are generally the reasons students go in debt and if not paid back in an appropriate time manner your wages can be garnished. Although tuition can be expensive it will be all worth it in the end. The degree you get from going to school will give you a better chance for a well-paying job and more options in life.

Going straight to college takes a lot of thought and many believe that you have to know exactly what you are going to major in once you get there. It is better off to know and have an idea on what you want to do because it saves to a lot of trouble once you are in your Junior and Senior year of college. Taking the wrong classes is a big mistake that is common to happen when not knowing your major or what you may want to major in when going straight to college. Taking a year off will give you time to think and evaluate what you could see yourself doing for the rest of your life. Many high schools now have many programs to help the students get a head start on the type of career they think they may like and the opportunity to find out if they cannot see themselves doing it.

The decisions made early in life may also effect if they take off a year before going to college; as things in life change so does some goals you have set out to accomplish. Most people have the ideal life set out for themselves from an early age but as life goes on many obstacles and hardships may come to where a year off before going to college is the best solution. Familial shifts can have an effect on our decision to take time off before attending school. Given the current state of our economy, and rising unemployment rates most students are relied upon to contribute to their households. Life changing events prior to college include a wide array of issues, with the most prevalent being teen pregnancy. Adjusting to life at any stage with a child can be difficult, and this deems true with most young mothers. The daily responsibilities, and dependency of taking care of a child can prove to be a bit much when matched with the demands of school. Most young mothers see it as a necessity to iron out the wrinkles, before taking that giant leap towards higher education. In conclusion, time off can prove to be beneficial or harmful, as the decision can have lifelong effects. The decision to pursue higher education is one of the most important choices you will make, and while most opt to head straight down that path after high school others foresee taking a year off as the best option. Whichever path is chosen by students is for sure to be rewarding in the future, as enrichment and growth will be encountered.