Taking a Leave of Absence from Graduate Studies

Lots of people do this. Only a small fraction come back - something to keep in mind.

 

This may be somewhat off topic... but why are you considering this?

The reason I ask is because over the years I sort of "followed" you on these forums, ever since way back when you were struggling with Spivak. That is, you asked a lot of things I was going through at the same time. And what grad school are you at, if you don't mind.

 

I've done it. I was intending to quit, but fortunately, my advisor insisted that I should just ask for a leave of absence instead. After a year, I came to my senses and came back and finished.

 

All the best to you Jason, but let me warn you: a lot can happen in a year. It's understandable that you tell yourself that you'll come back to grad school, but if you get into a serious relationship or start pursuing a career that interests you (even temporarily) you may find yourself making compromises that make it hard to jump back into grad school. I hope you stick with grad school - an advanced degree might be pretty valuable in the job market in the next 5-10 years and ongoing. Good luck whatever you decide.