In 2012, after only three weeks of class, I impulsively decided to quit University.
I was busy with my second year of Actuarial Science. I chatted to a school friend over GTalk and she told me she was going to Israel in two days. I joked and said that I want to come with, as one often does. In all seriousness she asked me: “Why don’t you?” These three words struck me and I realised that I’m not on the path that I want to be. There really were no reason for not quitting University and enjoying my life.
Of course there were lots of things to consider. I had a bursary that I would potentially have to pay back, I was on a lot of committees, I didn’t know how my parents or friends would react, etc. After thinking carefully about all of these ‘problems’ (well, at least as careful as one can think about it in a few hours) I found quitting University to be the most logical decision. The next morning I went to the travel agent a booked a plane ticket to Israel for 2 days later. After that I went home to tell my parents what I’ve done. They took it surprisingly well.
My parents even helped me to get everything ready. I sent an email to all the committees I was on, as well as my bursary, notifying them of my decision. The time flew by and before I knew it I was in the air on my way to Israel for three months, with no plan.
The time of my life
For three months I had no worries whatsoever. I ended up hiking a thousand kilometers across Israel, with people from all over the world. I got a unique perspective on life and learned a lot about people and myself. You can read all about it on my travel blog.
Welcome home surprise
The day I arrived back home from Israel, I was sitting in our kitchen when the most beautiful girl that I’ve ever seen walked through the door. My parent’s introduced her as Caro, our latest renter. Needless to say, we are getting married in December.
Back to school
After taking the rest of the year to help my parents move and doing odd jobs like freelancing and graphic design. I decided, with the help of my then girlfriend and parents, to go back to University. I enrolled in a much easier course with much more general subjects like Marketing and Economics. I really enjoyed the course work, but more so all the free time I had. I ended up using this time to make summaries of all things.
Getting paid to study
I was fortunate enough to get my bursary back, which covered all my study fees, books and accommodation as well as most of my food. With the money I made from selling summaries I was able to make a net profit for just being a student who studied hard.
Looking back
There were times when I wondered whether it was worth it to ‘delay’ my life with a year. These thoughts however only occurred when I saw some of my friends graduating. Then I realised how much unhappier I would have been if I continued to suffer through Actuarial Science for 3 years and started working as one.
Looking at the people I have in my life right now, my financial position and my life experiences I couldn’t have made a better decision.
P.S. I have nothing against Actuarial Scientists. It’s just about finding your passion and living it.
Have you done something impulsive that turned out to be one of the best decisions of your life? Tell us in the comments below.