College is a great experience where you get to learn new things and meet new people. It allows you to get involved on campus and in your college community. You are constantly trying to balance your school work with your social life and your extracurricular activites. After a while, the feeling of constantly being overwhelmed becomes too much and we you feel like you want to take a semester off.

I am here to tell you this: if you think you need the semester off, take it. I remember when I got so overwhelmed that I had panic and anxiety attacks. My poor health was keeping me out of class and brought my GPA down. Please understand that it is okay to take that semester off. It is okay to put your physical and mental health before those five 40-page reading assignments and three papers that are due in less than a week. It is okay to put you first.

With that being said, I am not encouraging you to quit college. You should take some time to get back on your feet and get your health back to where it should be. For most people, that is usually 1-2 college semesters. Your education is very important and it should be something you want to continue to pursue.

People will constantly give you grief about taking that semester off. They will almost always say, "You are just using this as an excuse to not go to school. You are dropping out." Block them out, please. They do not understand your situation or why you made the decision to take that semester off. They have no say if they do not have any influence on your health. You owe them no explanation.

Lastly, learn from your semester off. Learn not to put your health on the back burner. If you get sick or you are facing a significant amount of stress, go to the doctor or a counselor and seek assistance. In college, a number of resources are available to you for free. Make sure you are using them as you need them. I can tell you from personal experience, that putting my health last was probably the biggest regret you will ever make in your college career. Therefore, take time to recooporate and get back to finishing your degree. If no one else tells you, I am proud of you for putting yourself first and being brave enough to go back and finish you degree.