The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 72, No. 7, Ed. 1 Friday, September 28, 1984 Page: 13 of 24
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Kampschror, who left Rice needing only one
semester of course to graduate, says, "My
parents were disappointed with my decision.
They and my friends always encouraged me to
come back."
Similarly, Mike Dishart, a Will Rice senior
who took a voluntary withdrawal last fall, had
to deal with parental misgivings. "My folks
were anxious for me to get back to school. At
times I felt like I'd let people down."
Advisers who commonly talk with students
considering time off say that nearly all worry
about their parents' reactions. "I see a lot of
'Often they are just sick of the place."
concern with parental expectations," says
Clark, "but it's important for students to realize
that it's their decision, not their parents'."
Potential leave takers also worry that a leave
of absence will be a blight on their records,
hurting chances for employment after
graduation or for admission to graduate school.
But according to director of career planning and
placement John Evans, most employers aren't
concerned by a short leave. "If it's for no more
than a year or two, it's certainly not the end of
the world. As long as the leave is not for too long
a period, there isn't an adverse effect."
Similarly, having taken a leave doesn't seem
to hurt chances for admission to grad schools.
In fact, Harvard's placement office has
Kris
Kris Kamp8chror: 'Main St.jii8ta.feu; hundred yards away.
conducted a study revealing "evidence that
taking a leave works positively in relation to
acceptance to graduate schools," particularly if
the applicant gains work experience during the
leave.
"I really needed time to figure out why I
was in school."
The reasoning of graduate school admissions
committees is that students do benefit from
their experiences away from college, and this
view is widely shared by the students
themselves. Those who have returned from
leaves of absence point to a variety of ways that
their experiences were worthwhile.
Breedin says that her traveling gave her a
greater sense of independence and flexibility.
She explains that she spent four months
hitchiking across the U.S. with a friend, and
says, "I had the feeling of being on my own. I
had to take care of myself. I had to learn to be
adaptable to new places and people." And on
return to school her perspective was changed:
"Now when I start to get overwhelmed, I don't
freak out. I tell myself, 'This is what you want to
do. No one's forcing you to do it.'"
Dishart mentions a similar change of
viewpoint. He worked as a stock clerk in a
department store during his time off, and says,
"It was for a short time, but it was a complete
disassociation with my old environment. It was
a jarring of my lifestyle, and it helped me realize
that the way to get most out of life is to do things
you really want to do. In some ways I learned
not to take my life so seriously, because I'd been
doing that."
Another benefit cited by leave takers is help
clarifying career interests. Evetts spent five
years out of school, at first working for a
construction company and eventually going to
work in the public relations department of a
drug rehabilitation company. Along the way he
learned to use a minicomputer, and decided the
computer field was the right career for him.
Now that he's back in school, studying
computer science, he says his attention is more
focused than it had been. "When I entered Rice
"It's nice to be back in school and be
able to have conversations where I can
use three syllable words without being
stared at."
after my time off, I knew exactly what I wanted
to do here and exactly how long it would take.
The desire is a lot stronger now," explains
Evetts.
Kampschror, who spent six years out before
returning this fall, also credits his work
experience with helping clear up his career
plans. "Rice lacks a certain practicality and
reality," says Kampschror, "We students get
caught up in the world inside the hedges, and
don't realize that Main Street is just a few
hundred yards away." He explains that he had
trouble thinking about the world outside the
hedges while still inside them, but that working
outside allowed him to think more realistically
about career plans.
In spite of this near unanimous agreement
about the benefits of time off, many leave takers
cite drawbacks to being away from school. "It's
nice to be back in school and be able to have
conversations where I can use three syllable
words without being stared at," says
Kampschror. "On the outside, some of the
people with power simply don't have the same
capacity as Rice students. Sometimes it's hard
to respect them."
Kampschror also warns of limitations in
employment opportunities. He worked for an
insurance replacement rental car company and
quickly climbed as far as he could. "It was
basically a dead end job. There's only a certain
level you can get to without a degree,"
Long-term commitments, whether financial
or emotional, can also make returning to school
difficult. "You can get caught up in making
money and buying things, and the bills can
start and don't stop coming," says Kampschror.
Evetts agrees, "It's possible to get committed to
a job, or to get married or whatever and feel that
you're trapped into not coming back."
However, the vast majority of students who
take time off do eventually return for their
degrees. Brown says, "My experience has been
that practically all students do complete their
degree, either at Rice or elsewhere."
Mike Dishart: learned not to take life so seriously.
The consensus of Rice students who have
taken time off and of their advisers seems to be
that the stigma once associated with time off
from school should no longer apply. They say
that the more accurate way to think of taking
time off is in terms of "stopping" rather than
"dropping" out. As Clark puts it, "Taking time
off should not be considered a cop out, but rather
a very brave thing to do."
Clark adds that it is vital for Rice to continue
its policy of making it easy for students to take
leaves if they choose to, because, as she puts it,
"The notion of finishing college in four
consecutive years just isn't valid for all people."
Brown agrees: "It is extremely important for
the university to allow voluntary withdrawal
and leaves of absence for almost any reason.
"When someone makes a decision to take a
leave of absence, 98 percent of the time it's the
right decision. On balance, I would be happier
to see students take a leave than students who
come determined to get a degree and get out as
soon as possible."
For students contemplating time off from
school, the Office of Student Advising is
sponsoring a workshop, called "Time Away
from Rice." Students who have taken leaves
in the past or have participated in various
exchange programs will explain their
experiences and answer questions. The
workshop will be held in Jones College on
Tuesday, October 9. at 7 p.m.
The Rice Thresher. September 28, 1984. page 13
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Havlak, Paul. The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 72, No. 7, Ed. 1 Friday, September 28, 1984, newspaper, September 28, 1984; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth245569/m1/13/: accessed July 2, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.