Year off to travel?

Question

I am a senior in high school with a 3.8 GPA. I have slacked off and missed my deadline for my college of choice. I am distracted lately by family problems with drugs and divorce. I think that if i went to college now i would not focus, and would fail out. I haven't travelled anywhere in my life, but have always wanted to go to europe. I am thinking that i want to go to europe next october for 2 months with a eurail pass, come back, and work to earn back money for college. (i have to pay my own way). Do you think this is a viable option? Also, how can i propose this to my parents who want me to go straight to college in the fall?

Answer 1

To those who have said you will not go to college if you take a year off are full of crap. Don't listen to them. I took a year off of school, and I am doing very well in my classes and will graduate with a degree in nursing and secondary education: integrated language arts. My gpa is a 3.6. I have been Pres and V President of the chapter for the Student Education Association on my campus. My plans are pursuing graduate school, but I am not sure where yet. Just because someone says he or she wants to take a year off does not mean he or she will not go back to school. It depends on the individual and the level of motivation he or she has in completing college. You sound as though you are motivated with a 3.8. Maybe, you are burnt out and need a break. Traveling to Europe is a great idea and as long as you have the money to do so, you will do fine. Traveling looks great on a college application, and you can use the year to look at your options and possible schools. However, you do need to think of fincancing your way through Europe.
To the person who suggested the military: geesh, what horrible advice. How can you possibly advise someone who has asked to either go to college or to travel to join the military? The military is not for everyone. I hate the answer that people come up with when it comes to finding money for college. "Need money? Well, join the military." The military is a huge sacrifice that some people do not want to give. My father was in the Navy, and I was born on the Navy base in Japan. I never saw him. Trying to juggle the military and school would be an impossibility unless you are willing to sacrifice 4 years of your life just so you can have money for college.

Answer 2

Not everyone is ready for college immediately after high school. I would totally disagree with you if you said you wanted to take a year off and sit around your parent's house and do nothing, but you have a plan. In fact, your plan is a very common one in many countries of the world. Often it is the expected thing that young people travel and see the world for a year or two after high school before starting college. That is often a good thing, as it means you are more mature when you start college. You have also learned that it may not be easy to make a living without a college education.

Tell you parents exactly what you have said here and expand upon it. Explain how you plan to support yourself. Explain what you think you will learn by doing this, and how it will improve your perspective on college and life. Research the issue - be prepared with lots of information when you talk to them.

You sound mature and you seem to know what you want. One of our daughters was very much like that. She actually traveled and did several different jobs for four years after high school. She is now 30 years old, has finished two degrees - math and computer science, is working on an machinist's program with a mining company, is married with two children, and leading a happy, productive life.

Follow your dreams. Life is short. You are young only once. I hope these thoughts help.

Answer 3

You already notice that you are 'slacking off' by your own admission in this question -- and missed deadlines to apply for colleges.

Here are the hard facts and what you need to consider:

IF you do take the time off to travel (and which is more slacking -- because where in here do you have a job earning money and taking responsibility for the actions already passed) ...

Then I do not see you (like many others when I was that age who 'opted' to "Travel Around" (does not matter where) going to COLLEGE in the future -- ever.

IF you want to EARN your way through College -- have you THOUGHT of seeing the Military Recruiter in your area? Or Taken the ASVAB (which is a very good tool to provide you a good assessment of where you talents lie -- and does not obligate you to enter the military service in any way) yet?

Go take the ASVAB -- find out where your interests lie. There is NO REASON to delay going to college -- because the LOCAL Community College IS the Economical Choice (and so is the Military) for those who DEFINITELY intend to go to get their degrees, but do not have the Financial Resources to do that in hand.

There is NO REASON to delay. PROVE yourself at your Local Community College (which, by the way, has OPEN enrollment -- meaning you can enroll at ANY Time and then get accepted and take courses the next open semester!), THEN ... while in Community College -- APPLY for Admission to the College you want to go --

THIS IS BY FAR the BETTER CHOICE -- and ... the Local Community Colleges (besides being relatively cheap) have SMALLER Class Sizes for those MANDATORY Courses that EVERY STUDENT MUST COMPLETE -- you know, the 2 English Courses, the Social Studies Courses, the Science and Math too.

This POINT I am Making is VERY IMPORTANT -- because when you go to a bigger school (not the local community college) you will be paying about TWICE (or even greater) the cost for these courses to sit in a LECTURE HALL with SEVERAL HUNDRED Students, and NEVER will you EVER see a Professor Personally teaching these courses -- because they are all taught by Graduate Assistants!

Answer 4

I'm going to give you some hard advice:

If you go to Europe now, you're never going to go to college.

While it may sound tough, taking even a year off from school is going to put you out of the collage mindset.

Go to a community college--get some credit. Don't just fly off to Europe. The more you spend away from school, the harder it will be to come back.

How do you know that you wouldn't focus now when you haven't even been to college? You may be burnt out of school now, but once you step onto that college campus, your whole view will change. College isn't like high school, and you'll be surprised.

If you have to pay your own way, start with the scholarships (get some books from the library) and head to a community college first.

Listen to your parents; if you stop school now, you won't go back.

Answer 5

Welp, i do no longer recognize approximately what to do in Boston, yet i recognize that nothings incorrect with taking a wreck from crammin' her head with Math, English, Spanish, technological awareness and so on. So be happy to take that long deserved trip. Now you have got time to take that loose Underwater Basket Weaving classification givin on the community community midsection that became into one yer checklist of exciting issues to do. yet look ahead to splinters. whether the reeds are moist, their nevertheless risky lit'l buggers! I made a wicker elephant taking part in the Tuba! LOL See if yha went rapidly to college, yha does not have time to play Bingo with Aunt Lola, or Horseshoe's with Uncle Fred! now might desire to be the time to bond with yer family members slightly. nonetheless if knitting a crimson PONCHO with grandma does not sound like a Weeeee-Haaaa time, re-organize your mattress room furniture and take care of it and do away with all yer socks with holes in them undergo in recommendations you have have been given something of yer existence to learn what human beings will inform you, you may desire to learn (placed your #2 pencils down, the attempt is over now). Take this time for you. So, seem on your community woodland and initiate taking some binoculars with you and a brilliant mouth water bottle with you and pass take exhilaration in the dazzling thing approximately birds and p.c.. some pleasing wild plant existence (that's what the bottle's for! Plus in case you prefer a sip of water.) Then once you come returned out of your relaxing day in nature, supply your mom the plant existence for mom's Day. And wager yha a million money, she's in no way had a bouquet of those plant existence till now! (much greater specific) Take care and stable success on yer quest for training!! LadyLaughAlot aka Smileycat : )

Answer 6

i don't think its that good of idea just because its like your trying to forget whats going on at home . so how to you sleep at nite where? really cheap places?how do you eat?what about finding something like a camp in the states for the summer. and playing it by ear ..............