Taking a year off to travel, good/bad?

[kvp]

Has anyone taken a year off for whatever reason and can they give me advice?

I'm 20 and going to be going into my fourth year for my BA in Economics this fall. Before I entered Uni. I decided to do a 3 year degree in 4 or a 4 year degree in 5. I'm considering the following options;

i) Just take a semester or year off to travel, my parents will HATE this and I don't want to disrespect them. I'm 99% not going to do this but at times I just feel like packing my laptop in a backpack and leaving ASAP.
ii) Do 1 year, get my BA THEN travel for awhile. I can come back after that and do 1 more year to get my BA Honors in Business Economics.
iii) Just do two more years and get my Honors then leave.

Right now I'm leaning towards option 2 but everyone has been telling me to suck it up and do 3. All my friends says that I'm not going to want to come back to school after I leave. I should just get my Honors NOW then I'll be free to do whatever for awhile before I work or get more schooling.

With 2 I was thinking of travelling by myself or teaching English for a year. It's not for the money, just experience. The BA will let me apply for a working visa to some of the places I want to be in if I choose to do the etaching English thing.

I'm just so bored and feel tired and stressed a lot. Nothing excites me anymore and I feel really unmotivated to do anything. I know it sounds whiny and immature.

Should I just get my Honors before I do anything? In that year off am I going to forget some stuff and have to study harder when I get back?

Can anyone who has taken time off give me their two cents?

[mikewvp]

Just curious, will travel solve this?


Unless you have some really good reason to go now, some opportunity that will not be here in two years, then save yourself a graduation present.

[lozen]

Well from someone older (41) One of the biggest regrets is not taking time off when younger to travel. I had the oppurtunity to go to Australia for a year and did not take it. Do it and do not listen to anyones davice here unless they are over 30. Trust me it will be the highlight of life.

[waxie]

Travel is a good idea.

[Eaglebauer]

Tough call, but my thoughts are more in line with Lozen's.

Maybe finish the B.A., but IF IT WERE ME, I'd travel before the honors degree. I'm over 30, and I just regret doing so much in school without yet having a clue about what I really wanted. As a result, a lot of it was wasted effort. I think taking some time off is not a bad thing at all in a lot of cases. It might save you from doing something you will regret 10 years from now. You still have a lot of time.

[kvp]

[ QUOTE ]
Just curious, will travel solve this?


[/ QUOTE ]

I don't know. I just know last year was the first time I ever really travelled outside of Canada and it was the 6 best weeks of my life. I finally got to see what I wanted to and just relax and have fun with friends.

[ QUOTE ]
Tough call, but my thoughts are more in line with Lozen's.

Maybe finish the B.A., but IF IT WERE ME, I'd travel before the honors degree. I'm over 30, and I just regret doing so much in school without yet having a clue about what I really wanted. As a result, a lot of it was wasted effort. I think taking some time off is not a bad thing at all in a lot of cases. It might save you from doing something you will regret 10 years from now. You still have a lot of time.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's where I am now. I have no idea what I want to do.

[DoGGz]

As someone also 20, if you don't have a path you want to take for a career right now, then this is an excellent time to travel and look for your lifes passion. You will thank yourself when you are older.

[lozen]

You still here? Go get out of here Travel

Question is Europe or Australia

[wowacedude]

I am taking a year off from college to travel.
Thanks to poker i have a chance to travel at my age(20), and thats a opportunity not many guys my age has. I also didnt enjoy college as much i hoped i would, and im hoping that i will be more motivated to live a funnier college life when i come back.

Hope this makes sense.

btw, im planing to rent a house in thailand or somewhere in the caribbean with some friends [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[theBruiser500]

life doesn't have to be that hard, just do what you want to do.