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Should I take a year off before college?

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Dobber
Posts: 1698 - Karma: 9,834
I just want to know about the pros and cons of a "gap year". What were your experiences? Would you do it again?

I want to explore and have some fun, but I don't want to fuck up my chances of getting into a good school.
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Mar 18 2015 8:04PM
69 11
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Steezy_IN_KC
Posts: 2033 - Karma: 1,607
A good school is a school that hands you a piece of paper that says society accepts you.
Not to mention that you journey will be a great talking point for scholarship applications.
but on the other hand most schools offer a study abroad program that makes the living abroad EXTREMELY affordable.
Mar 18 2015 8:09PM
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flacotaco
Posts: 68 - Karma: 374
Like my uncle, you will move to Vail for "one year" never come back and then 20 years later try to support a family on a ski bum budget. Don't do it.
Mar 18 2015 8:14PM
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Miomo
Posts: 4302 - Karma: 14,133
Most (or atleast a lot of) schools allow you to defer admission for a year after you get accepted.
Mar 18 2015 8:15PM
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special-J
Posts: 1572 - Karma: 4,477
get into schools now then defer your admission. That way you won't be tempted to say fuck it and never go like flaccidtaco's uncle. that's what I did and it worked out well (except for the fact that I moved out west and blew my knee after 3 weeks and had to move back home and sit around doing absolutely nothing for the year. so try not to do that)
Mar 18 2015 8:31PM
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JGWI
Posts: 2842 - Karma: 7,812
Pros-
Do what you want
Your in your prime years

Cons-
Graduate a year later
Possibly won't go back to school
Forget important information
Less pay
Mar 18 2015 8:52PM
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first_rodeo
Posts: 2385 - Karma: 7,781
you wont want to go back into the classroom after being out.
math and reading comprehension will decrease when not used.
Mar 18 2015 8:58PM
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Titus69
Posts: 9329 - Karma: 17,816
I plan on doing this as of now, I want to work a lot and make some money and ski when the mountains empty. My other option is go to a local community college a half hour away and take a few classes a week. I just wanna take a break after high school and not waste a lot of money going to school and have no clue on what I wanna pursue.
Mar 18 2015 8:58PM
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Casey
Posts: 7847 - Karma: 24,308
The problem is, and I don't know your financial situation but out of highschool you aren't qualified to get a job that pays very much, so you may struggle more than you imagine and work more than you ski. If it were me I would just get it over with.
Mar 18 2015 9:05PM
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soulskier
Posts: 17806 - Karma: 3,841
If you choose to take a year off, make sure that you're doing something to better yourself

No use being stagnant
Mar 18 2015 9:53PM
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profa_212
Posts: 8886 - Karma: 35,769
If you are a determined person I would say okay. If you wouldn't have the determination to go back I wouldnt.

if you do go don't fall into the trap that you shouldn't go back. It may seem like you are making a lot of money....but you are only supporting yourself. Realize that you will need to make enough to support a family at some point.
Mar 18 2015 10:14PM
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CHORIZO
Posts: 2003 - Karma: 10,039
Honestly i think a gap year is a bad idea
My plan is to go straight to college and get my degree and then bum it out for a year or two

i think this is a better option cuz ill probably work shitty jobs but ill have the oppurtunity to look for jobs in my profession and perhaps ill eventually live in the mountains for the rest of my life
Mar 18 2015 10:27PM
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theabortionator
Posts: 51626 - Karma: 162,072
Do whatever you want.

Go right away

Take a year off

Don't go to college


It's all good. All depends on what you want. If you want to go to college and a gap year is just going to be you sitting at your parents house playing video games I'd say just go to school right away. If you actually plan to do something decent like world travel action, a cross country road trip, whatever, go and do it.

IF you decide you don't want to go to school, don't go.

Pretty much do what you want, fuck what anyone else says.

Double fuck anything I say.
Mar 18 2015 10:34PM
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Aaaron.
Posts: 11817 - Karma: 903
In May, I'm graduating with a double major and 3.9 GPA after spending four years at a Maryland state honors university.. I have had a pretty successful college career, and I would attribute it to one thing: I knew exactly what I wanted from my college education before I started; as a senior in high school I committed to a degree and career path. This allowed me to plan out exactly how I would spend my semesters, winters, and summers, and, most importantly, allowed me to focus on a specific goal. If you do not have a plan in college, you are meandering and wasting money for the sake of "self discovery". The reality is that, while college is obviously going to teach you about life, it should not be a blundering four years spent indulging in reckless behavior before entering the "real world". College is an investment into your future and should be treated as an opportunity to establish the precedent upon which you will conduct the rest of your life.

I cannot emphasize enough the importance of having a plan. You do not want to waste any time in college. Time wasted is money wasted, which often translates into debt. Debt is fucking real and you do not want an excess of it. Even if your parents are footing the bill, extra money spent on your education is money that is taken out of their pocket and ultimately out of your legacy. That money is meant to be an investment into your future, and if you squander it, you deserve to go to prison and get fucked the hell up by people who never had the opportunity or the means to experience higher education or the quality of life it attributes to.
There is a blown-out, false expectation on college education. Your bachelors degree does not guarantee you anything; however, earning a degree while being truly focused and graduating with less debt will certainly separate you from a generous handful of your peers. If you have no direction and lack focus concerning a career path, a year off could certainly help. Although, at the risk of sounding repetitive, make a year-long plan. You do not want to recreate for a year, find work or internship in an area that interests you, volunteer somewhere, make a reading list and actually fucking read it's contents. The year will fly by and as an 18-19 year old, you really need to make the most of it.

In closing, I am not saying that you need to decide the trajectory for the rest of your miserable, damned-all life; I am proposing that having focus and direction will aid you in your college career.

TLDR: Fuck off, I just drank 8 ounces of tanqueray
Mar 18 2015 10:45PM
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UphillIce
Posts: 123 - Karma: 138
Apply to college like you normally would out of high school. If you get into a place you want to go to, defer a year and take your gap year. Many places will let you, so do your research before applying.

It's often a lot easier to apply when you're actually in school. Makes getting recommendations and transcripts much easier and keeps you honest (and sharp) about doing necessary things like taking the SATs. So do that, then take off. Being already in and set to be enrolled at a place will pull you back in if you start to drift.
Mar 18 2015 10:52PM
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Scotty_B
Posts: 287 - Karma: 423
Yes. No matter what you are doing in that year, it will give you the time to think about if and why you need to go to college. If anything it will help motivate you even more to work hard in school and truly better yourself through the next 4 years.

Good Luck.
Mar 18 2015 10:56PM
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PowPirate
Posts: 437 - Karma: 621
One of the best decisions of my life. i took a year off before uni, moved to the other side of the world, away from any sort of support network i had.
i found i went back to education a lot more mature and focused. you get all of the drinking and shenanigans out of your system (to an extent) and you just grow up! have more respect for stuff etc.
yeah its hard coming back but you can always travel after you've got your degree.
Mar 18 2015 11:00PM
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dmski
Posts: 328 - Karma: 360
I don't care what others say, college is awesome! But if you feel burnt out don't go just yet. If I did it over again, I would still go straight to college but take a year off after college to fuck around. I wanted money instead so here I sit writing this.
Mar 19 2015 12:32PM
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CheesusChrist
Posts: 159 - Karma: 345
honeslty it depends on how much you're going to school for the school vs. how much you're going for the college experience. If your goals are Platteville where everyone goes home on the weekends then take a year off and do some cool shit. But I'm a freshman at Madison and I almost took a year off, but I'm glad I didn't because college is awesome, mad town is awesome.
May 11 2015 3:57AM
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msg
Posts: 1108 - Karma: 3,269
Study abroad
May 11 2015 4:00AM
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miroz
Posts: 10333 - Karma: 3,945
Sorry, didn't read the replies, so if anyone's already posted this then my bad.

OP, if you want to take a gap year, I would recommend knowing exactly what you want to do with it. What you've written in the OP - "I want to explore and have some fun" - to me sounds like a recipe for sitting on mom and dad's couch for another year while driving to the local in-state university on weekends to hang out with your friends who went to college right outta high school (perhaps an over-exaggeration, but IMO applicable).

I would assert that if you can do something productive with your time, like travel (again, though, you need a plan), start a business, or work and save money to pay for school, a gap year can be worth it. If you're not sure what you want to study and don't want to be in school while you figure it out, that's another reason. Hopefully you get what I'm saying, I'm tired and don't feel terribly eloquent.

On a slightly different note: you say you don't want to "fuck up [your] chances of getting into a good school." I can really only speak for engineering, but all in all the ranking of the school you go to isn't too important. What you do there is much more important. I went to my in-state public university because it was cheap and close to home, though it wasn't well ranked in my field. To put it simply, I was a relatively big fish in a relatively small pond. I knew it, too, and that gave me the confidence to put myself out there and excel. Now, I'm in graduate school in a huge pond where I'm a small fish. I miss the small pond a lot. TLDR: College is what you make it, and you can excel anywhere. Don't worry so much about going to a "good" school - with the right attitude and motivation, you can make pretty much anything "good."

Kudos to you for thinking freely and considering lots of options. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions about college or engineering programs, hopefully I can help.
May 11 2015 4:16AM
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louie.mirags
Posts: 6015 - Karma: 5,029
kids who do this have their parents money. In that case, do it. I wish I could have. Except I was so immature at that age I failed outta college anyway from partying. 8 years later though it all worked out. Learn the hard way if ya gotta. The M-F 8-5 cubicle life fucking blows sometimes. So no rush
May 11 2015 8:43AM
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Dobber
Posts: 1698 - Karma: 9,834
miroz"I want to explore and have some fun" - to me sounds like a recipe for sitting on mom and dad's couch for another year while driving to the local in-state university on weekends to hang out with your friends who went to college right outta high school (perhaps an over-exaggeration, but IMO applicable).

I would assert that if you can do something productive with your time, like travel (again, though, you need a plan), start a business, or work and save money to pay for school, a gap year can be worth it.


I appreciate the reply, man. I kind of worded that wrong. Definitely not going to sit around, I'm planning a cross country bike tour and a trip to Spain that I have been saving up for. I'm joining the Navy before or after college too so that could change my plans drastically.

louie.miragskids who do this have their parents money. In that case, do it. I wish I could have. Except I was so immature at that age I failed outta college anyway from partying. 8 years later though it all worked out. Learn the hard way if ya gotta. The M-F 8-5 cubicle life fucking blows sometimes. So no rush


My parents could support me but they won't. I've been working my ass off since 8th grade and I'll probably get a job at a hill during the winter.
May 11 2015 8:58AM
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Static
Posts: 8553 - Karma: 4,089
DobberI'm joining the Navy


sounds like youve got it figured out
May 11 2015 9:28AM
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louie.mirags
Posts: 6015 - Karma: 5,029
DobberMy parents could support me but they won't. I've been working my ass off since 8th grade and I'll probably get a job at a hill during the winter.


well, then I would do it!

and about joining the navy, why????????????????????????

If you have direction, a work ethic, and money saved FUCK the military.
May 11 2015 9:45AM
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CrotchKiller
Posts: 9037 - Karma: 6,943
Take the rest of your life off school. It's a big fucking scam.
May 11 2015 9:48AM
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no_steeze
Posts: 23992 - Karma: 4,272
Gap years are a phenomenal idea if you know you will only take a year off. I was burnt out of high school and knew I wouldn't get the most out of college, so I took a year off and when I went into freshman year I was excited and ready. I would recommend that everybody take some time off if it is financially feasible
May 11 2015 9:55AM
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JGWI
Posts: 2842 - Karma: 7,812
CrutchKillerTake the rest of your life off school. It's a big fucking scam.


Meh, depends what you want to do.




Gap years can be a good idea so long as they remain a gap "year". What do you want to go to school for?
May 11 2015 10:03AM
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louie.mirags
Posts: 6015 - Karma: 5,029
CrutchKillerTake the rest of your life off school. It's a big fucking scam.


I had college mainly paid for and got a full time job through my internship. I'd say I did not get scammed, man.
May 11 2015 10:10AM
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Dobber
Posts: 1698 - Karma: 9,834
Staticsounds like youve got it figured out


Not really but I'll most likely join after school and become an officer.

JustGoWithItGap years can be a good idea so long as they remain a gap "year". What do you want to go to school for?


I'm thinking about Sociology or criminology. I have a while to figure it out yet. Only a Junior in Highschool.
May 11 2015 10:15AM
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louie.mirags
Posts: 6015 - Karma: 5,029
DobberNot really but I'll most likely join after school and become an officer.


it is not as easy as it sounds. I am not sure what your gpa will be in college but they mainly take overachieved types of people. All the officers I met in the navy went to top schools and graduated with Engineer degrees. I am not shutting you down, just being real. Much easier than it sounds.

You'll most likely change your mind 15 times before college even starts and another 15 times in school so I will save us both the trouble of explaining why not to join.
May 11 2015 11:34AM
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Titus69
Posts: 9329 - Karma: 17,816
DobberNot really but I'll most likely join after school and become an officer.



I'm thinking about Sociology or criminology. I have a while to figure it out yet. Only a Junior in Highschool.


I'm also a junior and wanna take a gap year except I know I'll probably end up at a community college because my GPA is a bit below my grades average and I don't wanna put my parents in debt since both my brothers are in college
May 11 2015 11:44AM
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louie.mirags
Posts: 6015 - Karma: 5,029
Titus69I'm also a junior and wanna take a gap year except I know I'll probably end up at a community college because my GPA is a bit below my grades average and I don't wanna put my parents in debt since both my brothers are in college


it is funny that you put YOUR schooling debt into the hands of your parents lol... But, college is so fucking expensive, you're right. Community school muchhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh cheaper. My girlfriend went to 4 years at Syracuse University and her parents could not help her much at all. Her school loans are as a big as mortgage payments....
May 11 2015 11:56AM
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S.J.W
Posts: 7609 - Karma: 31,185
It really depends on what you want to do. If you know what you want to do with your life then go straight to college. But if you're still sitting on the fence take a year off. It's a year ,it's not going to kill you. People love to condescend about gap years but I think they're good. You learn more about yourself and learn to be more independent.
May 11 2015 12:30PM
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coolflash8
Posts: 3171 - Karma: 2,048
yes. gap year was so rad got so much pussy and so drunk
May 11 2015 12:30PM
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louie.mirags
Posts: 6015 - Karma: 5,029
The referenced post has been removed.


haha it is all good but if you misspelled any other word but "collage" I would have ignored it. But, that is just too comical
May 11 2015 12:55PM
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S.J.W
Posts: 7609 - Karma: 31,185
coolflash8yes. gap year was so rad got so much pussy and so drunk


We all know you're lying
May 11 2015 12:58PM
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saskskier
Posts: 4774 - Karma: 10,005
I think there is something to be said about going out for a year and gaining some experience in the world outside of high school before going back to school. SO many naive kids in college/uni who have all kinds of ideas, but no idea how the world actually works.

I took a year off after high school and went to Germany. I went to bible school for 6 months and then worked at the school for another 6 months. The school wasn't really any kind of a formal thing and the focus was not academic (inb4 religion related commentary). The fact of the matter is I left home (parents/country) and saw a different part of the world for a year. It wasn't completely unstructured or unproductive and I grew a lot through that experience.

Regardless of what you do, try to have some kind of a plan so you don't end up wasting that year. Even if you do waste it, you will probably learn some stuff and grow a bit as a person instead of being that kid just out of high school who thinks they know how the world works.
May 11 2015 12:58PM
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firecrotch
Posts: 1471 - Karma: 5,507
I'm a senior this year, graduating in a few weeks and planning on taking a gap year. Stoked
May 11 2015 1:07PM
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GayWolf420
Posts: 37380 - Karma: 119,941
CrutchKillerTake the rest of your life off school. It's a big fucking scam.


not really, but enjoy that slightly above minimum wage life.
May 11 2015 1:26PM
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J_BISCHOF
Posts: 2082 - Karma: 1,449
I did a gap FOUR years, worked as a ski bum, traveled, and partied until I was ready for college. I have been deans list every semester, and I am learning way more than I would have forcing myself to go right out of high school. This is because I actually care immensely, especially since I am in my mid twenties. I would say any amount of gap time between HS and College is a good choice. Get out there and see the world and what it has to offer. Maybe you'll invent facebook in your year off.
May 11 2015 3:41PM
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Dobber
Posts: 1698 - Karma: 9,834
The referenced post has been removed.


Buy lube?
May 11 2015 4:30PM
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HamFaceGirl
Posts: 5242 - Karma: 2,676
So many shitty liberals in this thread it is making me cringe.
Op,
I'm going to be a junior in college next year and let me just tell you this. Going to college is more fun than anything you have done in your life. I don't get these people saying this "go out and explore the world" bullshit. Here's what to do
1. Go to college
2. Have the time of your damn life
3. Do internships/research/get good grades and join clubs
4. Graduate
5. Land a job
6. Make scrilla and get comfortable economically
7. Go on vacations and travel the world with your OWN money, and not your parents
All this shit about "piece of paper" and "College is stupid" is crap
I've had more fun in college/learned so much more socially and academically in the past two years then I ever thought could happen. College is not a thing you want to avoid, so why the fuck are you putting it off? If I was in your shoes I would be beyond stoked to attend college. Be normal, go to college, don't be another hippie ass liberal bum
May 11 2015 4:40PM
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theabortionator
Posts: 51626 - Karma: 162,072
yungmoneyhoneslty it depends on how much you're going to school for the school vs. how much you're going for the college experience.


To me, paying $$$$$$$$$$$ for the "college experience" is fucking retarded. I mean, I haven't really heard many people hate on their time at college, but that is a SHIT TON OF MONEY to throw away just to be in college. Obviously the college experience is a bonus for sure, but if you don't care about getting a legit degree, and aren't rich, I think you're crazy to go to school.

I mean, I bet it's a great time, but if I spent 50k on an experience I'd travel the fuck out of the world for years.

Sure you won't be guaranteed to make millions of dollars with your degree in organizing a sock drawer or whatever but these days I see so much bitching about people and their college debt and not getting the jobs they want anyway.

Idk, a college degree even in yodeling will probably help you get a job more than somebody that didn't go to school but too me, IF I put up that kind of loot I'd want to get something out of it.

Also if the government stopped backing loans there would be a decrease in tuition. Now everyone can go to school, but you're paying up the ass and most people aren't getting much value.

/rant
PS: I'm cheap
May 11 2015 4:46PM
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Titus69
Posts: 9329 - Karma: 17,816
louie.miragsit is funny that you put YOUR schooling debt into the hands of your parents lol... But, college is so fucking expensive, you're right. Community school muchhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh cheaper. My girlfriend went to 4 years at Syracuse University and her parents could not help her much at all. Her school loans are as a big as mortgage payments....


Well obviously Id pay for stuff within college but for tuition, depending on the school could add up to a lot and my family isnt very wealthy.
May 11 2015 6:09PM
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Dobber
Posts: 1698 - Karma: 9,834
theabortionatorTo me, paying $$$$$$$$$$$ for the "college experience" is fucking retarded. I mean, I haven't really heard many people hate on their time at college, but that is a SHIT TON OF MONEY to throw away just to be in college. Obviously the college experience is a bonus for sure, but if you don't care about getting a legit degree, and aren't rich, I think you're crazy to go to school.

I mean, I bet it's a great time, but if I spent 50k on an experience I'd travel the fuck out of the world for years.


One of my teachers gave us a speech on this topic and I completely agree.

Student loans ruin a lot of people's lives. Then they have kids and thier lives spiral into a deep pit of anxiety and stress.

Some of the little in-state schools around my house are just 5-7K per year. No student debt + a degree would be amazing.
May 11 2015 6:20PM
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theabortionator
Posts: 51626 - Karma: 162,072
DobberOne of my teachers gave us a speech on this topic and I completely agree.

Student loans ruin a lot of people's lives. Then they have kids and thier lives spiral into a deep pit of anxiety and stress.

Some of the little in-state schools around my house are just 5-7K per year. No student debt + a degree would be amazing.


For sure. I would never say don't go to college to someone, but I wish people would weigh the options a little bit. Society just says "DO IT DO IT" without really making a solid plan. To me that's unreasonable. I spend a lot of time thinking about some purchases that are change compared to that, the way people YOLO about college is kind of scary.

I don't work a job making a lot of money, but I live cheap and have no debt, a decent savings. Nothing in life is guaranteed and the way people view debt in this country is kind of insane. It's not that surprising since out parents generation was all about that credit card debt, house they could afford with a huge mortgage, cars, etc.

Life is different for everybody but I don't see why there's the vibe of "Fuck it, run up a tab, you'll make enough to pay for it all eventually 1,000,00% guaranteed)
May 11 2015 6:27PM
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PacificRimJob
Posts: 24725 - Karma: 29,944
I don't know about you, but I really wish in hindsight that I had taken a gap year... unfortunately at that time, I couldn't, otherwise I wouldnt have been able to retain healthcare... You don't have to worry about that right now, so definitely take advantage of that fact.

**This post was edited on May 11th 2015 at 7:16:44pm
May 11 2015 7:16PM
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coolflash8
Posts: 3171 - Karma: 2,048
S.J.WWe all know you're lying


nah southeast asia all dreams come true
May 15 2015 12:10PM
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Caleb.E
Posts: 3556 - Karma: 1,015
lets make a note hear, college is nothing like high school better beyond all means and you don't have that experience yet. If you take gap year there's a good chance you will just say fuck it i don want to go back to high school... cus none of us would.

Go to school and if you need a break then take the break.
May 16 2015 11:13AM
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