Now what? Four things to do when taking a break from school
So, you’re sitting in your room at your parent’s house. You stare at the plethora of unpacked bags scattered across your floor and wonder, “how the hell did I end up here?” You look for reasons as to why the universe placed you in your current situation, scramble to find a person or thing to blame so you can lessen the shame and tension.
You think and you think until you realize there is nothing you can do, at least for now. You don’t want to accept the fact that you are going to have to revert to old ways in order to get through the unexpected break. The fact of the matter is, you’re going to be here for a while and there’s nothing you can do to change that.
The idea of taking an unforeseen break from school may not sound too bad, but spending five months in your hometown can sometimes feel like much longer. I had goals set out this semester. I was going to finally join the school paper, enlist in another extracurricular and create new and exciting memories with my college friends-but somehow I ended up working at my old high school job and being nagged by my mother to clean my room.
For a moment, I truly felt like I fell and had way of getting back up. I feared the presence of a disconnect with a life that I yearned so long for and the inevitable reality of me moving back in with my parents. I thought of the worst scenarios in my head. “Oh my god, am I going to have to transfer schools? What about everything I’ve done in school? What will happen to it?” My rampant and incessant thoughts were the cause of a lot of tears and anxiety.
But, I was not going to waste any more time wallowing in my own self-pity. This was my reality. It’s only going to be unbearable if I let it be. I had to stand tall and not let my worries take over. Throughout my time spent away from school, I discovered more about myself and the people around me. After taking some time to evaluate my finding, I was able to gather and construct essential tips. Here are four things I learned during my break:
1. Reconnect with old friends, better yet, make some new ones.
As much as you might have the people on your home town, there might be some that can take away some of the stress a break can bring. What some (like myself) forget to realize is that people change, whether its for better or for worse. And it’s quite visible in some people. It’s never a bad idea and take the extra step and see whether someone has changed for the better. That someone may be the reason why you wake up in the morning or why you don’t completely hate your home town. Further, don’t be afraid to mingle. You might meet someone who could end up being an unexpected life-long friend.
2. Don’t be afraid to spend some time with yourself.
A cousin once enlightened me on some genuine advice before I graduated high school, “You will find yourself alone more times than you think.” This quote can easily relate to individuals who are and are not at school. Whichever situation you’re in, one of the toughest things to figure out is how to spend all this new free time. Yet, when you're taking an unexpected break It’s almost incredible how much time you have on your hands. And with all that time, a large fraction of it is going to be spent by yourself. Take yourself on me-dates. Go to the beach and watch the sunset. Find an old (or new) passion and pursue it with the resources and people you have around you. Finally read that book that has been collecting dust on your night stand. No matter what you do, take the time and enjoy yourself. You’re going to learn a lot more about yourself than you think.
3. Get a job and for the love of God, actually save.
Sadly, money happens to be a frequent reason as to why one may or may not attend the school of their dreams, or at all. I did not have enough money to pay for the semester so saving money was my primary goal, other than getting back to school. Here is where I truly learned the meaning of a dollar. I had paid minuscule bills whilst in high school, like my phone or Netflix, but those were nothing compared to the bills that haunt me now. Now, I had to work twice as hard if I wanted to go to back. So, I worked until I could pay off a large portion of the next semester. There are many practical and efficient skills and experiences to be taught while solely working. Don’t be afraid to take on more than one job. You might come to find a new career path that interests you, or even that you’re more comfortable with working rather than going to school. Most importantly, save as much as you can. Having that extra coin in your pocket will take you out or at least help you in whatever financial situation you’re in.
4. Don’t judge someone for being their current situation.
For a large majority of high school, I was the type of student who wanted to go to a name school. I was even accepted into said school, but couldn’t attend because of my family’s financial status. I looked down at students who chose to go to community college or forgo going to school altogether. Back then I was ignorant to the idea that every situation was so different and separate from each other. I never took the time to consider the fact that someone could want to go to a community college, or that college just wasn’t made for them. College is college, therefore you shouldn’t feel less in any way just because you decided to go to a college with a lower cost of attendance than others. You can have just as much passion and drive to pursue your dream career studying whatever at Florida Southwestern State College than someone studying the same major at the Florida State University. Entering this break made me realize that many people don’t have the luxury of choosing where or when they get to go school. Nonetheless, whatever the situation, anything is still attainable with the right amount of passion.
We are constantly faced with obstacles that seem almost impossible to tackle. How we execute each situation is distinctive to everyone, regardless we must not remain ignorant. I was not prepared for the life lessons I learned during my time back home. I had come to realize many aspects of myself that were in dire need of improvement. Sometimes it hurts discovering parts of yourself that has an impact on your decisions, relationships and outlook on life. Not going to school for a couple months or years can seem like the end of the world, but it is only the beginning of a truly astounding growing point. So if you see yourself entering or residing in a sudden break, remember that you’re at a stop sign, not a dead end.
Photo taken from Google and Wix.