Many students enter Stanford with numerous college credits and talk of graduating in three years. Few, however, consider the possibility of taking time off and stopping out of the University to pursue other interests. As opportunities present themselves to upperclassmen, this option becomes more appealing and students take advantage of the University’s liberal stopping out policy, often choosing to graduate after their class as a result.

“Stanford makes it extremely easy to stop out,” said senior Michael Ross. “In fact, that flexibility is one of the reasons I came here. A tour guide told me the story of John Steinbeck repeatedly stopping out, and the University repeatedly welcoming him back. I thought that was incredibly awesome.”

Stanford encourages students to take time off to explore the world outside of academia, and its lenient policy reflects this. Once a student has completed one quarter in good standing, he or she can leave the University and return at the start of any academic quarter.

“Stanford believes all things educational are not necessarily academic,” reads the Stanford Parents Guide. “Because Stanford requires full-time attendance of enrolled students, the University makes it easy for a student to . . . take time off to work or to seek educational experiences elsewhere. About 20 percent of students take advantage of this option. The idea is to take a break from the established pattern with a specific purpose in mind.”

Both Ross and senior Caroline Clabaugh stopped out to participate in a program in Bermuda where they consulted with and taught teachers and students in the public school system about computers and helped to develop computer science curricula.

“I had been thinking about doing a study-abroad program or stopping out to travel, but finances were an issue,” Clabaugh said. “When the option to get paid, live overseas, teach and play in the sunshine was presented to me, I couldn’t resist. It seemed a perfect fit.

“I wasn’t concerned about not graduating within the exact four-year span, as long as I didn’t have to take more than 12 quarters worth of classes,” she continued. “I was [however] concerned about tuition costs. That’s why stopping out worked so well for me — during my time off I didn’t have to fulfill any CS requirements, which is quite difficult to do in an overseas program, but rather I could just gain work experience and life experiences.”

Charlotte Williams, a junior who stayed on campus and worked during her time off, concurred with Clabaugh’s appreciation for the real-world experiences gained by stopping out.

“In working with various departments while stopped out, I gained perspective on how seriously — or not seriously — to take Stanford,” Williams said. “Sometimes in the throes of academic life, students get intense about making the grade or building the resume, gearing up for ‘the real world.’ Working with people past college helped calm my fears about taking more time to graduate. Just live life, man. Epicurean, I know.”

Another reason for stopping out is to take time to learn more about oneself.

“During my time in Bermuda, my mother passed away,” Ross said. “That, in combination with starting a business, has prompted me to take yet another quarter off to be a bit more introspective and to gain some further real world experience before returning to finish my studies in the fall.”

Students said that Stanford was sympathetic to their desire to stop out.

“When I left junior year, I was the house manager at Kairos and involved in several research projects on campus, yet everyone, from my housemates to the Row staff to my academic and research advisers, was extremely supportive of my decision to leave,” Ross said.

The decision to stop out is not an easy one, and students admit sometimes questioning their judgment.

“There have definitely been times this year when I’ve wished I’d crammed and finished, but given the lackluster job market and the opportunities that stopping out has afforded me, I’m glad I’ve decided to spread things out — Stanford isn’t a bad place to be at the moment,” Ross said.

Clabaugh summed up the sentiments of interviewed students when she said, “I’m definitely a fan of time off. I think it makes school more worthwhile if you take breaks to see what else is out there.”

However, Clabaugh also mentioned the hardship of not graduating with one’s freshman class, but suggested a positive alternative.

“I’ll be graduating in December 2003,” she said, “but I’m still walking with my classmates this June. When else could I really graduate?”