Not going to College straight after high school.

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Why hello there WrongPlanet! I'm a high school junior tired of the tediousness of public high school in America. I feel as if the gist of it can be summarized as "be an obedient slave for six hours a day, and don't think of actually learning anything meaningful."

I know College will be a much more mentally stimulating experience, but I don't think I've maximized my potential productivity in the time I was blessed with, so to speak.

I will be able to have the high grades and test scores, but I will have almost no ECs whatsoever, unless ECs could consist of socializing on message boards about my passions (Math, Guitar, Latin, Programming), playing video games (though they are pretty cerebral video games <_<), and reading books at homes. Sadly, it seems I haven't produced anything worthwhile to show to colleges.

So I'm thinking of taking a sort-of "sabbatical," where I'll spend time building up useful skills to have on a college resume. If life was an RPG, I've recently acquired a lot of experience points in discipline (I've started exercising, and procrastinating less).

I'm planning on using MIT's OpenCourseWare (MIT was my dream school, but I doubt I'll be able to make it in if I go apply next year), to learn College level Math and Computer Science. Then I'll use my knowledge to actually build a product,, and get really, really high test scores.

That way, I'll impress the admissions officers, because looking at the competition at College Confidential, I'm screwed for now.

Sounds like you've got a gameplan, which means that taking a year of to get everything together might be time well spent. The only reason that would be a bad idea is if you don't use the time effectively-- if it means you have a chance to get into a better/more challenging- stimulating college it's time well spent. It can also help you get a better sense of your likes and dislikes so picking majors is easier. Being in a bad college can be almost as bad as highschool and it can destroy your motivation so. If you can earn some money on your time off that's good too.

This is a good idea. It is something I wish I had done, looking back.

If you are using that one year break to assess yourself, prepare for college and think about what you want to do, great. Though if the free time just falls into video games then, no good.

Id suggest you do that after your first year of college.

Take all the required math and english classes out of the way, while the knowledge is still fresh from high school in your brain.

Not only does this give you the chance to see college learning first hand but it also gets out of the way the classes where you are guaranteed to really struggle with years down the road if you dont take them now.

... and then you can do your sabbatical and make all that happen.

I took two years off and fell in a funk. am starting to get out of it by joining the army guard. I sure wish i had a plan somewhat like yours when i graduated lol