College Students Discuss Their Biggest Decisions: Should I Stay or Should I Go?

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Ironically, students who embrace and benefit from college the most are more likely to be confronted with a decision about leaving school for big opportunities. The most frequent choice involves the prospect of studying abroad, an option usually reserved for well-rounded students with strong grades. For others, academic success may give them the chance to graduate a semester or even a year early. And others who've had good internship experiences find out that some employers are willing to hire promising students for full-time jobs before they've finished college.

The summer going into his senior year at the University of ­Vermont, Bryant Jones worked an administrative position for the same company for the second straight year. He liked his job, his co-workers, the company, and its location. It seemed like the ­perfect place to work after college. The firm offered good opportunities for advancement, and his supervisors liked him.

In fact, they thought so highly of him that they asked him to leave school early to work full time. His boss suggested he finish his degree through online coursework.

"The decision did not come easily," says Bryant . "I turned the offer down. As happy as I was, I knew that I would never have another chance to experience my senior year in college if I stayed. I also knew that I would not receive my degree in the amount of time that I had planned on."

Bryant knew that as soon as he turned down the offer the position would be filled by someone else. But it wasn't worth cutting his education short at Vermont. "Even though it's hard to see the greater picture, I know that if I had decided to stay, I would have regretted it greatly."

Under different circumstances, Debra Trevino (University of Texas at Austin,) realized she had the option of leaving campus a year early"and she took it. She was ahead in her academics, and could have coasted through her senior year, but she saw other possibilities. "I love the whole college experience, but I had an opportunity to finish early and I seized it," says Debra, who explained how she founded two campus clubs at UT in Chapter 9. "Not only will I save time and money to focus on what I really want to do with my life, but I also feel it has forced me to become more responsible."

Students who excel academically will be attractive candidates for study abroad, something that's most frequently done during junior year. Such programs take the collegiate mix of academics and independence one step further, with fascinating international offerings and opportunities. Ginger Ruskamp (Creighton University,) spent a summer studying in Britain and found it enriching beyond her dreams.

"I know that leaving the country for a few months can be kind of scary, but it is so worth it," she says, pointing out that summer programs might be a good option for those who don't want to be away from campus, or the United States, for a full semester. "Getting outside of your comfort zone once in a while increases personal growth. It is such an incredible learning"and life"experience to study in another country. It was one of the best experiences of my life."

Colgate University student Jamie Simchik also planned to travel overseas, so he investigated his school's study-abroad programs for junior year. When he couldn't find exactly what he was looking for, he eventually found the program he wanted"but it was outside of Colgate's domain. Undaunted, he took a leave of absence during his education to pursue his dream, and decided to spend a year working for an economic development firm in Australia. The catch: Although it's a great experience, he won't receive any academic credit for it. He returns to Colgate in the fall of 2005 as ­a junior when most of his peers will be seniors"and he'll need an extra year to graduate.

"It is a tough decision to leave your friends and go work in a foreign country," Jamie says. "I was worried at first about such things as not graduating with my class [and] missing out on campus events . . . but those all ended up being trivial in the long-run."