Starting the next four, five or six years of your life? Don't worry - you're not alone, you're actually the trend.

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Nick Moore

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It took three years of doubt in the back of her mind for Rachel Gummeson to steer a sharp turn in the midst of her post-secondary education journey.

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"In my third year I just thought, oh my God I hate this," said the Halifax native.

Gummeson was a student at the city's Mount St. Vincent University and was going towards accomplishing a major in child and youth studies.

She ignored any initial misgivings about her choice of study during freshman year, figured the second year blues would pass, but by third year had come to the conclusion that the program just wasn't what she wanted to do with the rest of her life.

With that realization, she finished her double minor in psychology and sociology at MSVU and went on the hunt for a new major and a new school. Last fall she enrolled at Fredericton's St. Thomas University where she began concentrating on a major in criminology.

"I'm taking the year off because four years is long enough for right now, but I'm going back next year," she said.

"I want to finish my degree definitely." Before this summer, Gummeson would have been from a statistical point of view a university drop-out. Whereas before where a set of numbers didn't reflect the complexity of hers and other people's similar situations, a first of its kind survey (officially released late last month) confirmed that many students are taking different pathways that may result in their post-secondary education being longer than just a four-year timeline.

The study suggests that in many cases a Canadian student's post-secondary education journey could take them about five or six years to complete with gaps of no school time in between, a complete change in course study and/or a change in institutions.

Miriam Kramer, the study's project manager based in Toronto, said such revelations being made official are groundbreaking and will give better context to the successes and failings of a post-high school education.

"It sheds light on the fact that there are many different pathways people take during their post-secondary journey," she said.

Using data from Statistics Canada and analyzing it in ways it had never been investigated before, the study found that only half of all Canadian students graduated from their initial program within five years of beginning their education at one school.

However, the same study found that close to 90 per cent of university students get their degree in a five year timeframe whether it's at the same institution or another one.

Only about 10 per cent of the students who left a post-secondary institution didn't return to any other form later on.

Furthermore, the study found that most students who changed their major of study stayed at the same school in which they began. Those who switched majors along with switching to a new school were more likely to complete their second degree, according to the study.

"People who we previously thought had given up altogether on post-secondary education were pursuing post-secondary via different pathways," said Kramer. "(Before), we saw that people left particular institutions but we weren't able to track them so we couldn't do anything but assume they were drop-outs.

"Yes, some people do drop out but it also allows us to look at different pathways. Some students left for good, other people left but returned, other people switched programs, other people switched institutions." Gummeson said she isn't surprised to learn that she has some company when it comes to switching courses and changing schools.

"I think when some kids are in high school the idea of not going to university can sometimes be overwhelming," she said. "So people just jump into it," Gummeson said such a rush to get into a post-secondary program could mean that not enough thought has been given to the depth and impact of such a decision.

Corry Melanson, a fellow student at STU, agrees saying what might seem like good decision at the beginning of Grade 12 could turn out to be a poor choice in the end.

"High school may not be the best indicator of what you want to do with your life," he said. "University changes people. People are not the same...even after just one year in university. They change and they change what they want." In Melanson's case, he made a decision to switch his initial choice of an English major at St. Thomas to a more specialized major and honours choice.

Entering his fourth year this fall, Melanson figures his post-secondary career will take him into a fifth year so he can achieve his honours goal. Taking on that extra year required some thought on Melanson's part.

"I had to think about it because of the obvious money matters," he said. "It wasn't too difficult once I put money aside.

"What's another $8,000 on top of the $40,000 I already owe? I figure if the honours will get me a better job that pays well it's all worth it in the end." In the end it all comes down to having no regret and accomplishing some satisfaction. For his part, Melanson said he's quite happy with the choice he's made of changing majors and Gummeson contends that she wouldn't change the path she's taken thus far. There are no hard feelings about the time she spent at her first university either.

"I met a lot of great people and one of my best friends still goes there," she said. "It was an experience."