Taking semester off can be beneficial to mental well-being
When I embarked on the spring semester of classes this past January, I felt completely and utterly drained.
I was depleted of energy, creativity and the slightest bit of motivation to move forward with classes.
The previous semester had brought on a number of unanticipated challenges: The demise of a relationship, caring for a stray kitten that I took in, said kitten unexpectedly breaking his leg, health complications and a change in living arrangements, all on top of a job and full course load. I can usually roll with the punches, but I was completely overwhelmed.
There was an air about the upcoming semester that was unlike any other. All of the emotional residue from the previous semester seemed like it was there to stay into the next. It went beyond the stress.
Too often during stressful times we’re told to just “get through it” or “tough it out,” but sometimes when life doesn’t go our way, and even goes way, way out of our way, it’s time to re-evaluate and look at our options.
Of course, I didn’t have a clue what I was going to do instead, but whatever it was, school wasn’t an option.
I learned a lot about myself in the following months. I learned that I was capable of commanding a room and making people laugh through a stand-up comedy class I took in Ann Arbor. I learned that I would always be feuding with family members as long as we were all under the same roof, but that at the end of the day we were still a family.
I re-established friendships and did a lot of reflecting in between.
I’m not by any means advocating dropping out at the first sign of a little stress, but I do advocate being smart about recognizing limits and following our intuition.
I wasn’t jumping for joy for this semester to begin, that has never been me, but as I am nearing the end of my undergraduate academic career I am excited to start the next chapter of my life.
