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It's the beginning of the end--the autumn of senior year -- and your enthusiasm for school is dropping as quickly as the colored leaves. While your head is full of applications to fill out and deadlines to meet, you're wrestling with restlessness and attempting to make choices about the future. College is calling ... but what if you no longer feel that beginning college next fall is the right answer for you?

Before you make any rash decisions, remember that you're not alone in experiencing school fatigue. According to guidance counselors, many high school students consider taking a break before going to college, though few actually do. Keep in mind that the burnout blahs do go away, but if you're seriously interested in exploring the alternatives, don't take the  

college time-out

  decision lightly.

"Do I Defer?"
College counselor Shirley Burr Darling urges any high school student who wants to postpone college to be "utterly honest with him/herself." If you're one of these students, here are some questions to ponder: Why do I feel I need a break from school? What is it about college that doesn't appeal to me right now, and might that change in the course of the coming months? What do I hope to accomplish during this time off? What are some of the long-term goals I have and how will this hiatus help me reach them? What exactly will I do?

"It is very important that your choice is structured," Darling emphasizes. In other words, don't embark on an endless summer. In order for the college time-out to be valuable, it should be purposeful, foresighted, and time-limited.

"Livin' La Vida Grown Up"
Twenty-four-year-old Dana Sisti, a Business major at the University of Colorado, Denver, CO, is back at college after she spent five years living, as she puts it, "the life of a 'real adult.'" Though she doesn't regret leaving high school and not going straight to college, she advises those considering a higher ed hiatus to not make any hasty decisions. After much thought, if you do decide to take a break between the books and embark on a college time-out, there are some advantages, she says.

Working full time right after high school, explains Dana, afforded her financial independence and the opportunity to build a solid Career network. It improved her financial status -- rewarding in itself -- she explains, specially while her college student friends were complaining of "starving student syndrome."

But, recalls Dana, things changed after her friends graduated from college. "When they started living the real life, I was the one at the disadvantage without the degree."

Now that Dana has returned to college, she finds that being older than her classmates has distinct advantages and disadvantages. She challenges her professors' ideas more than her younger classmates, she explains, and therefore, feels she gains more from the lessons. Then again, she admits it was difficult to regain the motivation and study habits she'd lost during her break from school.

That's why Susan Tafoya, an admissions representative at the University of Colorado, recommends that high school students who choose to postpone college take at least one class to maintain their study skills. Studying is a developed discipline that can easily slip away, she explains.

Taking Time to Find Yourself
According to Robert Levy, 19, taking time off before college can be quite satisfying in terms of soul-searching. He spent the summer after high school graduation working as a camp counselor in New York City. Afterward, he explains, he lived "pretty much like a bum" with his older brothers. His 'slacker stint' was not in vain, though: It allowed him time to mull over whether or not college was right for him.

In those months as a non-student, says Robert, he gained educational enlightenment. He began to realize that college was truly something he wanted and needed. Now, as a student at Metropolitan State College of Denver, Robert plans to study either philosophy or African-American studies. Although he knows it may take him a little longer to finish, he strongly believes his College Experience will be more meaningful. He's there not to fulfill familial expectations, as he might have been before, but because he wants to be.

Lessons From the Road
The time-off experience of now New York University junior and sociology major Adrienne Pagac gave her time to experience the world beyond books. She spent her college time-out living for four months in the International Peoples College, Helsingor, Denmark, a community where newly graduated high school students from various countries live and work as a unit. There, Adrienne developed unique and worldly communication and relationship skills. Afterward, she felt comfortable enough to buy a Eurorail pass, travel solo through Europe, and stay at hostels and pensions.

"I'm proud of what I did," she says. "I've proven to myself that I can do anything, despite the reservations my family had before I left. Life experience has no equal."

Gary Camp, director of admissions at Hope College, Holland, MI, agrees. "You can learn a lot more from traveling than any one textbook can teach."

Become an 'Organized Wanderer'
Do your own thing you may, but steer clear of unstructured alternatives to college. Specific programs for students taking time off after high school, say experts, are often a better option. One such Worcester, MA-based program, Dynamy, matches students to three or four internships per year, which allow them to experiment with careers. Participants are expected to produce written reports about each of their internships upon completion.

According to Sarah Siegel, 19, you have to be self-motivated and fully participate in programs such as Dynamy in order to truly grow from them. Sarah's Dynamy experience included an internship at an art museum, a program for emotionally and mentally disturbed kids, and a nonprofit organization.

"I chose to defer college because I wanted to learn through experience before going back to a more traditional type of education." Now, after completing her first year of college, Sarah feels that her college time-out allowed her to explore and develop her interests in art and writing.

Another option for those wanting a variety of experiences is the National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC), a 10-month residential program that provides its 18- to 24-year-old participants with full-time community service opportunities in exchange for room and board, a small living allowance, and a $4,725 education award upon completion. Volunteers work on projects dealing with issues like public safety, the environment, education, and more.

Eighteen-year-old Audra Detterbeck, a participant in the NCCC, has tutored students, helped restore a natural habitat, and worked at a summer day camp. Audra chose to postpone college until she felt ready to declare a major, and has enjoyed the learning opportunities NCCC's different projects have provided.

"Living away from home and doing things I would not normally do has given me confidence in my ability to succeed in any situation," she explains. Audra feels that upon completing her year away at NCCC, she will be better prepared for college or art school.

Get a Guaranteed Back-Up Plan First
Even if you plan to defer, apply to college anyway. Get accepted, pick one school, and then request a deferment, advises Darling. If you give your reason, most colleges will accommodate your desire to delay enrollment.

"Taking a year off is not viewed negatively, but questions do arise as to the reason a student [wishes to] delay entrance to college," says Chris Markle, director of admissions at Susquehanna University, Selinsgrove, PA.

In other words, be sure that your time off is productive. Listen to others, but listen more to your own reasons, goals, and feelings to clearly decide whether a college time-out is right for you.

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