Why You Should Take “Time Off” After Undergrad to Work*

1. Confidence: It’s demoralizing to go from debt into more debt. On one h and, you may as well rack it all up at once, in order to avoid having to pay interest on your undergrad loans before you start to accrue graduate school loans. However, the more debt that accumulates as you sit there in the library trying to earn a piece of paper with a stamp on it, the more insurmountable that mountain of unpaid bills looks. At least if you work in the interim, you earn confidence in yourself that you can earn a salary and live independently, not off of someone else’s gift (if you can consider a loan a gift) to you.
   
2. Relaxation: Being able to leave your job at work and enjoy nights and weekends free from worry over your next exam or guilt over the paper you should be writing is liberating. Assuming you are a diligent, hard-working student, you will not experience this until you quit attending school full-time.
   
3. Autonomy: Yes, you are free from parental supervision in undergrad years, and in graduate school you are no longer bound by silly dormitory and campus rules. Still, having your own money and the time with which to spend it lends life a particularly grand sense of autonomy. You can spend your time and money literally however you like. You can shop for clothing, or travel, or put your money straight into the bank and take a walk in the park instead. You can join a gym, or buy cigarettes, or do both, if you so desire. Your life is really and truly 100% yours.
   

*Disclaimer: These reasons all assume that you are living on your own. If you are living with your parents, I cannot guarantee that they will still apply. See rules and regulations—as drafted by said parents—for details.