BYU NewsNet - A growing trend: students taking time off from college

By Laura Ashby

According to No. 120 on Christian Lander’s popular blog “Stuff White People Like,” taking a year off is a popular trend among college-aged students.

“When someone goes through a stressful experience, they usually require some time off to clear their head, regain focus and recover from the pain and suffering,” Lander said in a blog post.

He said many students use their time off to travel, volunteer or work abroad with the goal of becoming more interesting to other people.

So, as a peculiar people, why do BYU students take a year off?

Some take time off from their studies for financial reasons, to give service, travel or take a break.

One student had considered taking time off to serve a mission, but her time to serve came earlier than expected when she was crowned Miss Idaho.

Elise Davis, a junior from Idaho Falls, Idaho, studying advertising, entered the Miss America pageant hoping to earn scholarship money. Not only did she receive $10,000 for college, but a crown with the requirement to take a year off to fulfill her duties as Miss Idaho.

Davis said the best part of her job was being able to speak to children and influence them for good.

“The biggest impact of this has been seeing what a difference I can make in the lives of other people,” Davis said.

A common reason for taking time off from studying at BYU is to serve a mission. According to Y Facts, 15,129 BYU students were returned missionaries in 2008. That number represented 46 percent of the student body.

Christian vom Lehn, who served in the Taiwan Kaohsiung Mission, said he feels his two years of service were well spent. He said he initially decided to serve a mission because he felt it was the right thing to do, but after serving a mission he realized how wise the decision was and could see the benefits from taking that time off.

“I think there’s a lot of growth that occurs when you’re on your own, and I learned to be less close-minded and how to interact with people of different backgrounds and cultures,” said vom Lehn, a native of Glenville, N.Y., and recent graduate in economics and mathematics. “I feel it really broadened my horizons to life outside of the United States and outside of Utah.”

He said his objective in being a missionary was to serve others, contribute and do whatever the Lord would have him do. From his service, he indirectly grew in character, he said.

Aimee Devine planned on studying interior design at Salt Lake Community College the semester before leaving on her mission to Salvador, Brazil. However, tuition ended up being more than she was originally told it would be, so school was no longer an option at that time. Since she needed to save money for her upcoming mission, Devine moved back home to San Clemente, Calif., to work for an interior designer for six months.

An unfortunate situation at first glance was actually a blessing in disguise, she said.

“I was able to spend a lot of time with my family before my mission, especially with my nephew, who had just been born,” said Devine, a junior studying history teaching at BYU.

She also had the opportunity to do some traveling during her time off from college. Devine’s father offered to take her on a trip before her mission, and the two traveled Europe together for two weeks.

Devine said she sometimes feels a little left behind because most people her age are married and having kids, but she said it is those decisions that have shaped her life and made her who she is today, and she wouldn’t have it any other way.