So, why take time off?

People have approached me and asked me why I’m taking a gap year from Tufts. If you even bother to read this, then you have probably considered taking time off from school for yourself. More and more often, students are taking semesters off from college to purposefully enhance their lives and their college education. Students are taking time off to work, volunteer, study and travel. Students are taking time off when they see the chance -- whether before college or somewhere in their college years, whether one semester or a full year.

If you need more encouragement, check out The Princeton Review’s book "Taking Time Off" (2003), where students from various backgrounds offer stories of what they did during their time off and what it meant to them further down the road.

People ask me whether taking time off is right for them. I don’t know. However, if you do choose to go on sabbatical from school, here are my five tips to enhance your the experience:

1. Explore the gap-year scenario.

Allow yourself to explore a gap year plan. Think about how it would help you (defining career path, trying new things, etc.) as well as how it could hurt you (not graduating with friends, delaying work, etc.). Look at the idea through a wide-angled lens, taking the long-term benefits into consideration. Don’t let your emotions get in the way of your dreams. The dean of Harvard told the New York Times in 2001, "Most students would be better off if they were able to get some perspective on themselves, their lives, what they hope to accomplish." Universities support students who take time off from school. If you receive a financial aid package and intend on taking one or more full semesters off, there is very little impact on financial aid eligibility, as the aid is put on hold until the student returns. For more information on student loans and leaving mid-semester, contact the financial aid office to see how a gap year would affect you.

2. Get your family on board.

This is important, as much as the decision to take time off from school seems like a great way to thread real-life experience into your college studies. For some students, the pressure from parents or guardians to stay the course with school is strong, and for good, complex reasons. Get clear with yourself about your goals for the time off. Make a plan, present it and address their concerns. Be specific and be confident, even if you aren’t sure of the details. Make it clear you’re going back to school.

3. Crowdsource for inspiration.

Once you get your family on board and you are making steps toward planning your gap year, dedicate your energy to hearing people out. If you give them the chance, you’ll discover that everybody dreams about what they’d do with more free time. Ask people what they would have done if they had taken time off. Their hindsight and experience is valuable. Indulge them. And another thing -- later on, when you are structuring your gap year month to month, these family, friends and community will be more willing to come to your side having been included in your decision-making process when it comes time to making these dreams a reality.

4. Give yourself permission to fail.

There’s a saying that goes, “Life is what happens to us while we are making other plans.” Moderate your expectations and you will be pleased enough. Make a plan, mark your calendar and spend what money you can spare… expecting yourself to make mistakes every single step of the way. The road less traveled has as many ruts and potholes as the road oft traveled. If you find yourself lost, remember you are still in the comfort of your university -- your friends, professors and the Career Center.

5. Make it official.

When you have explored a gap-year scenario, received your family’s support and are ready to take the plunge, it is time to tell Tufts you’re going off the radar. To inform your university of your personal leave of absence, allow for time out of your day to do the following procedure: 1) Log on to the Internet. 2) Enter SIS. 3) Select the drop-down menu called "Request.” and 4) Click on “Leave of Absence.” Bingo. There you go, champ, you did it in under two seconds. Now log off. Bravo. Within a week expect an automated email from Student Services confirming your dean has been notified. You’re good to go. You can hit the ground running.