Did I make the right decision? Time off from school.

I've been in school for more than six years. Yes, six years.

After three years in university I decided I need to get out and change my major. All fine and dandy. I decided to go to a community college for three years while working in order to get some foundation classes out of the way.

This year I was accepted into a art school in New York City. Was very excited, but as the semesters went on I found out that the school was not a right choice for me. I have decided to take a year off, as my health has been declining both mentally and physically. 

I've been in a rut since then. In my mind I have decided to apply to a school in the City that might be better for me (smaller class sizes, creative freedom) but I can't help but to feel bad that maybe I am just not good enough for school. It honestly hurts me when I go on my social networking websites and see my former classmates talk about how they are doing in class.

Being an older student I have been feeling a lot of an age gap, mentally when I was at school. Also I have heard that when you take time off it's harder to get back into school.

Any experiences with this?

School is a place of learning so I do not think age matters. The important thing is to know what you want and where you want to be in the future. I know a few people in their 30's who went back to college to either take masters, or get another degree.  They did not care they were older than their classmates. They were determined to reach their goals. 

Right now I am feeling relieved of leaving the school, but at the same time feeling empty and sad because I see my friends from community college doing well in their respected programs. 

I think getting a therapist once I am not feeling as sick to help some of these issues might help me in the long run,

I've been taking classes for 6 years at the local college. I've changed majors three times since August 2006. I don't think age matters either when it comes to learning and advancing your education. The range of ages in the school go from just-out-of-HS kids to grandparents.

It sometimes is harder to get back into school once you take time off.... I took a year or so off in 2008-09, but the "bug" to get back into it hit me and I've been back since except for 1 semester in the beginning of 2012.

Only you know what is best for you

I started college when I was 40, so I was definitely considered nontraditional, and it took me almost ten years to get my degree. I worked full time and went to classes part time. It was a long and difficult struggle, trying to be a wife, a mom, a worker and a student....all at the same time. There were times when I thought about bagging the whole thing. But I didn't. Got my degree in Geography with a concentration in Environmental Planning, and even found a job in my field of study. All in my late 40s.

You're the only one who can determine if school is right for you. As for taking time off, I wouldn't recommend it. That's just me though. Most people who take some time off never go back. 

You are plenty good enough for school, but maybe you are just lacking some focus. Making an appointment to talk to a guidance counsellor at the school is the way to go. This person can help you figure out exactly what credits you still need and the quickest way to get them to graduate. If you are going to school for a future career, then pick a major that you love doing and learning about. If you are in school at this point only to get a degree under your belt (nothing wrong with that), then pick the subject that you find easiest and major in that. 

I'd also like to suggest you make an appointment with your doctor to talk about your declining health. Everything is a lot tougher when you aren't feeling up for it! Even something as simple as low thyroid can profoundly affect us physically and mentally (thyroid hormone is needed in every cell of our bodies). 

If you leave school, make sure you withdraw and don't just stop registering. I'd tell the guidance counsellor what is going on, maybe even set up an appointment with the Dean of your college (the Dean can make anything happen). If you are receiving any kind of school loans or grants, your financial aid officer also needs to know why you are leaving school, or taking a break. Telling these people what is going on will make it easy for you to come back if you want.

I took off a year from college when I was getting my first degree - I did not know what to major in and was tired of working so hard to go nowhere. I put myself through school so I had to always work while taking classes, and I wanted to just work and have nights off for once to have some fun! I worked full-time and when I went back, I had a major picked and had a plan and it was easier to finish up. (I had a good relationship with my financial aid counsellor, and had explained to her what was going on. Usually, when you leave and come back you have to wait a year to receive any loans or grants again, but since I talked to her, she made sure I had full aid when I came back!)

I was an older student when I got my second degree (graduated exactly 10 years after my first). There were other older students at that time, I don't think anybody thought much of it. 

Good luck I hope you get it worked out!

Thanks everybody. I think what I will be doing is calling up some numbers for a therapist and then go from there. Might even think about getting another blood test.

One of my problems I deal with is actually hyper-focusing, rather than a loss of focus. I've talked to some of my friends that I had before I moved and it is apparent that the school was just not a right fit for me. 

The age gap is not as much as a problem, but with a lack of community apparent at this school the gap seems more prominent. I've been through school with some grandmas and grandpas (and they were really sweet), but also been with those who are fresh out of highschool. During that time I was at the local community college which seemed to have a better sense of community within the department.

My guess is that the lack of facilities at the school I was at contributes to the lack of community. Unlike academic majors, the visual arts consists of peer critiques. With the lack of work space it's very hard to connect with eachother. 

Thanks everyone who responded!