Seriously contemplating taking next year off of college

[Brighty]

I just find myself more and more fed up with the whole "system" and the same damn rat race. I'm 19 years old and I've been in school literally all of my life and I will continue to be until I'm 22 or possibly older. That's a good 4 or so years out of what is considered the prime of my life and I feel like that's such a waste. I just feel like I have a greater calling in life than to spend all these years in schooling, then go straight into a 9-to-5, and then end up married with two kids in a two car garage in some suburban home filled with regrets that I didn't do X, Y, or Z when I had the chance. That life's not for me. I want to go traveling, sky-diving, I want to try my luck in Hollywood, I want to do all of these things while I still have the chance. I don't want to let life slip idly by, I want to embrace it as an alpha male. Maybe I'm just ranting, I don't know, but I feel like I'm wasting away here.
I've always been an advocate of grabbing life by the balls and trying new things, and I can't help but feel like somewhat of a hypocrite.

So many people just spend all of their life doing what they're told to do, doing what they're told they should do, I think they don't even realize that there is a whole world out there to take by the balls and experience. The world is your own playground.

Don't get me wrong, I know the value of an education and I'm not planning on quitting, but I'm seriously considering taking some time off and traveling to Europe or something. Does anyone else feel/felt the same? Can I resume schooling at my university the next year seamlessly?

 

[5string]

I'm old, but will tell you of my experience. I went into the Army at age 18. I went to school after discharge on the GI bill and got my BA plus some graduate work for my MBA. I almost did what you are considering, but stuck it out and got the BA. I did drop out of grad school and never went back. I always thought about it though. You will still have the best part of life in front of you if you just finish it up. I did. Heck, I went to Europe three times after I graduated and still had a whole bunch of fun. I envy you Brighty. You have many choices and options. I wish you the very best. Either way, you'll make the right decision.

 

[synergy1]

I just feel like I have a greater calling in life than to spend all these years in schooling

You mention your college major zero times; clearly you don't really care too much nor have an end game plan to get to this calling. Maybe you are talented at something enough or have enough drive to really do something great, but from your post you seem average at best with no direction. Should a 19 year old have as much direction as someone who is my age? probably not. I only vaguely knew what I wanted to do back than, but was still working my ass off to achieve that end game. The fact you want a year off indicates to me you don't really want to put in the time and would rather spend it banging broads and traveling.

note: there is nothing wrong with traveling and banging broads!

Also, how are you fed up with the system? you never worked 9-5. Do you pay rent, taxes? do you commute to a job? While I am not an advocate of 9-5, don't belittle it because its what people do...its an income. Fact is your resume would be thrown out for the 9-5 jobs I have gotten, so don't pretend like you are above the rat race or the regular job.

 

[CaptainJ]

I just find myself more and more fed up with the whole "system" and the same damn rat race. I'm 19 years old and I've been in school literally all of my life and I will continue to be until I'm 22 or possibly older. That's a good 4 or so years out of what is considered the prime of my life and I feel like that's such a waste. I just feel like I have a greater calling in life than to spend all these years in schooling, then go straight into a 9-to-5, and then end up married with two kids in a two car garage in some suburban home filled with regrets that I didn't do X, Y, or Z when I had the chance. That life's not for me. I want to go traveling, sky-diving, I want to try my luck in Hollywood, I want to do all of these things while I still have the chance. I don't want to let life slip idly by, I want to embrace it as an alpha male. Maybe I'm just ranting, I don't know, but I feel like I'm wasting away here.
I've always been an advocate of grabbing life by the balls and trying new things, and I can't help but feel like somewhat of a hypocrite.

So many people just spend all of their life doing what they're told to do, doing what they're told they should do, I think they don't even realize that there is a whole world out there to take by the balls and experience. The world is your own playground.

Don't get me wrong, I know the value of an education and I'm not planning on quitting, but I'm seriously considering taking some time off and traveling to Europe or something. Does anyone else feel/felt the same? Can I resume schooling at my university the next year seamlessly?

I say get your degree, and then take a year off to go travelling a banging brawds. Just remember though, merely saying you don't want to live the rat race won't cut it. You've got to take action towards your ambitions (Hollywood is not a realistic ambition). You haven't given us a cle of what you want to do. I'm guessing acting. But maybe it's money and fame you want? If so there are many much better routes to take for that than through hollywood. Give us an idea before we can comment.

Also if you are so dissillusioned with college, you are probably not making the best time of your stay. College years are supposed to be the best of your life. Get out there, join clubs, take up sports, start laying girls and expand your social circles.

 

[amoka]

Some of us have been going to school almost all our life now... You're only 19, 10 years behind me at least, if you want to attain success in life the traditional way, I suggest you sack things up and go through college. If you have the money and the means to support yourself for the rest of your "time off" of course go for it. Remember that you'd find it difficult catching back up with the educational system when you return--thus if you chose to return. Some of my students, who are years older than me, always complaint of "not having done this in a LONG time." You don't want to fall in their category because, trust me , they have it a hard way. Simple things that "continuous education" students get, it takes them a while to get. So, it certainly your call.

 

[Brighty]

You've got to take action towards your ambitions (Hollywood is not a realistic ambition). You haven't given us a cle of what you want to do. I'm guessing acting. But maybe it's money and fame you want? If so there are many much better routes to take for that than through hollywood. Give us an idea before we can comment.

I'm interested in writing and directing, I've won state competitions for my work, specifically in the 48 hour film festival (won 2nd in State when I was 17 and won Best Screenplay, something that was unprecedented for someone my age - the guys who narrowly beat my team had been directing professionally for 20 years) and other various competitions. I'm working on a youtube miniseries right now and my dad also is a film director who has some connections in California that may be able to get my foot in the door into the industry, so to speak. I just never have had the balls to pack up and leave everything I know behind and put myself out there with everything on the line.

Also if you are so dissillusioned with college, you are probably not making the best time of your stay. College years are supposed to be the best of your life. Get out there, join clubs, take up sports, start laying girls and expand your social circles.

I'm a freshman and so far my college almost-year has been the best of my life. I'm apart of a fraternity and I bring home a different girl every weekend. But it gets boring to me, I'd rather find a quality girl to invest in than a random one night stand or tag-along ****buddy that I cannot relate to in any way other than she's hot and has a vagina. I love the weekends and my fraternity events. I hate the classes and I just find myself getting more and more fed up with it. It doesn't interest me. Being an entrepreneur does, and next year I'm going in the school of business. Maybe that will bring a much needed spark of inspiration.

Also, how are you fed up with the system? you never worked 9-5. Do you pay rent, taxes? do you commute to a job? While I am not an advocate of 9-5, don't belittle it because its what people do...its an income. Fact is your resume would be thrown out for the 9-5 jobs I have gotten, so don't pretend like you are above the rat race or the regular job.

No, no I'm not trying to belittle anyone. I'm just saying I can't do that. The closest thing I've done to a 9-5 is an internship over the summer which lasted about that long. I'm not above a regular job, I don't say that out of some sort of misguided narcissism, I just can't do that. The system I was referring to was the American schooling system, sorry if I was vague. And banging foreign broads isn't really up there on my list of priorities at all. If it happens it happens, but I want to experience something more meaningful in my travels.


P.S. I'm not trying to come off as pompous or egotistical or anything like that, I'm not trying to offend anyone here, and I certainly don't want anyone to just disregard this as just another 19 year old who thinks he's the center of the world... I just have really felt this strong nagging feeling for the past few months and I'm sort of venting on here. I'm not trying to be a douche.

 

[Warrior74]

Finish school. Write while you are in school. Think about Tarintino working in that video store and writing scripts at night. The only difference between you and him will be that you have a degree and you have time to hone your craft. Make films while in college. Learn your trade. Every guy with a SLR with HD recording is making movies now that are looking better and better...a degree and training will seperate you from the pack. Plus let me tell you as an undergrad drop out...once you stop...its hard as F to go back.

 

[Iceberg]

I gotta agree with everyone else, Brighty. You're 19, you say you've been in college your whole life, but you can't tough it out for 3 more years.

Just do it, man. Unless Hollywood comes calling, and you have some 100% guaranteed path toward living your dreams, it's good to have a degree to fall back on.

I spent my whole life wanting to be a writer for an ad agency. Went to college, and majored in marketing because I felt that a writing or journalism degree was too limiting. Anyway, I graduated and within a year, I got a job as a writer for an ad agency. Moral of the story: your talent isn't going anywhere if you keep honing it. So having a degree is just good common sense, unless you think it's holding you back somehow ...don't throw that away.

 

[ENIGMA16]

I don't really see the necessity here. This is how everyone feels, but "packing up and leaving it all behind" isn't some magical thing that's going to solve all your problems. Hate working a 9-to-5? Guess what you'd be doing if you "left it all behind" and went to Hollywood? You'd probably be working an 8-to-8 to support yourself. Unless you have an unlimited supply of money, or a large amount you're willing to spend, taking "time off" doesn't really exist.

I considered dropping out so many times when I was going for my degree but I ended up saying "f*ck it, I only have a few years left of this **** and I know that if I drop out I'm never going to want to come back, so why not just finish it now and get it over with?" Which is exactly what I did. And once I find a job I'll be making 50-60k a year in an entry level position.

My plan is to work that for a bit and save up, travel a ton and then go to grad school for my true passions (History and Economics). That way I have money which equals options, I have a plan set out, I get all my necessary schooling out of the way right away and once I get a job I'm pretty much set; the world will open up. At that point, I can choose whether or not I want to keep working the 9-to-5 or if I want to do something else.

Whatever you end up doing, have a plan. Don't just move to Hollywood on a whim and hope to get lucky. And if you were really passionate about this, you wouldn't even need to move anywhere to pursue your passion. Why don't you work on a script while you're in school, refine it so that it is the absolute best you can do, and then when you graduate figure out what to do with it from there?

 

[KingofHearts]

Does anyone notice how many people say "i just need to work a few years more, save money and then do whatever I want". A few years becomes forever. Why???

Coming out of high school, I had a dream of what I wanted to do with my career. Working with kids is certainly a passion of mine. What I didn't expect was to get such a great opportunity so soon. Along with moving up, my bosses kept screwing up, eventually leaving me in charge of a fairly large program. At 19, I was promoted to the position I was going to college to try and get. I tried to balance school and work. But the work hours just grew longer and longer. I loved it. I didn't even know why I was going to school. After barely passing classes, i realized that my I was already living my passion. I left school with 2 years to go.

Years later, i have no regrets about it. I have a ton of work experience. I'm in my 20's and I go bumper to bumper with anyone in my field. I've done some pretty innovative stuff. I've made a name for myself in the community. I've worked with 1000's of kids. Lately I've been working on serving kids in a more private setting and earning more per hour than my parents do. I don't have to seek work, it comes to me just with my reputation and word of mouth.

I've earned the recognition. Its incredibly hard work. To the OP, I know you're stressing out over working 9-5, but let me tell you - 40 hours a week is nothing. Depending on the projects I have, I could work 60-70+ hours. Just because I left school doesn't mean I got to kick back and chill. I worked harder than I ever did in school. But if you're fearing the 9-5 because you don't want to be trapped in a cubicle, then you have my sympathies. The classroom can feel like a prison too, especially if you feel like your calling is elsewhere.

But remember this, sky diving is a one day event. Maybe its a goal, but its certainly no reason to quit school. Periods of "traveling" require periods of earning income. How do expect to do it?

 

[f283000]

To OP, this is coming from a guy that has spent an embarrassing amount of time in school..

DO WHAT YOU WANT! I was forced to stay in school even though I wasn't mature enough to handle it, to take it seriously, to put effort into it. I wasted years and years of my life getting nowhere, warming seats in classes. Due to family pressure I was forced to stay in school where I wish I could have taken time off to travel, to find myself, mature and find out what I wanted to do with my life. I changed majors who knows how many times and taken so many classes that I ended up not needing. I wasted time and money.

If your heart is not into it just quit for a year. Take some time off to travel, have fun and do whatever you want. Take a year off to do the things in life you always wanted to do and then come back to school with a refreshed soul.

I did end up maturing and realizing how important a degree is. I took an insane amount of classes every semester to finish up fast. However all those years spent in school warming up seats and changing majors I could have traveled places and had some adventures. You can always catch up, you can always take 5 or more classes per semester. There is nobody pointing a gun to your head telling you to finish up fast. You don't have to do what I did you are still young. You can take time off and just take a normal amount of classes per semester when you come back.

My heart was not into school and I wasted my life warming up seats and taking a whole lotta classes. You don't seem to have the family pressures I had. Tell the world to go to hell and book a trip to where you always wanted to go and have fun!