I've been on intermission from university for two years. During my first term, I developed respiratory infections, though those were really only the straw that broke the camel's back—I had recently come off antidepressants, I had undiagnosed ADHD, and I was dealing with the stress of work horribly. In the intervening two years, I've made a lot of progress, though a great deal of it has been made in the last three months. I'm back on medication (for ADHD, too), the symptoms are treated, I've learnt how to manage stress through therapy, and I'm in a much better position to return.

Last week, I was in residence for Consideration to Return; at a meeting at the end of the week, I met with some of the staff at the college to discuss whether I wanted to apply to return this year, or to take another year out. They made the point that the progress I've made so far is largely untested, though I did very well in my week in residence, and their position was to recommend a further year out.

Another year out, if I was able to make the most of it—I may be able to get a paid internship that I'd really enjoy, doing something I'm very interested in—could be an excellent opportunity, and make it much easier for me when I do go back. On the other hand, if things didn't pan out, it could be a demoralising waste of time. If I went back now, I could get along fine—my doctors think I'm ready. On the other hand, if it didn't go well, that would be the end of university for me.

It's a very tough decision. I asked the I Ching:

"Should I apply for another three terms' intermission or to go back this year?"

The answer was hexagram 49, changing on lines 5 and 6 to hexagram 30.

The way I interpret this is as encouragement to go back this year. A lot of the images around it seem to pertain to the realisation of potential through a radical change. When I asked about the situation in general, right after I returned, I had a similar answer: hexagram 23 changing on lines 2 and 6 to hexagram 7.

I've been examining both answers—the images around them, their meanings, the way the trigrams within them change and interact—to try to understand the answer as well as I can, as this is an important decision. Any insight that occurs to anyone who reads this would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

jmclaren said:

"Should I apply for another three terms' intermission or to go back this year?"
The answer was hexagram 49, changing on lines 5 and 6 to hexagram 30.

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I think it was a mistake for you to ask two questions at once. I think your two options should be asked as two different questions. In its response, Yi seems to have reflected back to you your two options, change like a tiger (go back to school) or change like a leopard (do not advance).

ginnie said:

I think it was a mistake for you to ask two questions at once. I think your two options should be asked as two different questions. In its response, Yi seems to have reflected back to you your two options, change like a tiger (go back to school) or change like a leopard (do not advance).

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Good point; though I think often you get a good answer back whether or not you ask a good question (except when you get chastised for asking a really bad question). I think just by presenting the two options as it did, it helped me decide.

What did you decide?