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Taking A Break

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By Iluveisensteinscriterion
Posted Mon Feb 13, 2006 at 11:50:11 AM PDT

I have recently decided to take a year off between undergraduate and graduate school. I know there are still schools out there that I could get in to, even this late in the game, but I don't feel that is worth stressing myself out over. Does anybody feel that this is a bad/good idea? I am just really at a loss as to what to do. If I wait until next year I will have had time to take my GRE's and spend the quality time I need to on my applications, but I've been told that if I take that year off I may never go back? I'm really confused.

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Taking A Break | 1 comment (1 topical, 0 hidden)

[new] Can go either way (none / 0) (#1)
by halewis on Sat Feb 18, 2006 at 08:54:22 AM PDT

I think it's true that taking a year off can lead to more than a year off, but by no means is that a certainty. If you WANT to take a year off (rather than feeling like you have to), then I think that can be a very good thing! There are some programs you can do after graduation (spend a semester doing internships in Washington DC, the Budapest Semesters in Mathematics), although you still have to pay for them so it's like an additional semester of school. You could also take some graduate classes at a local public college if you want to strengthen your background without spending *too* much more money. Or if there is a job you'd like, or travelling you'd like to do, I think that taking some time off can be a big plus. A year isn't such a long time that it would disrupt the flow, although I would think that you'd want to formally or informally stay involved with mathematics.

Taking A Break | 1 comment (1 topical, 0 hidden)

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