After high school, students typically have to choose between university and job. However, nowadays, they do have a third option of taking a gap year. A gap year is basically a timeout that students opt for before they start college or join work.
Gap years are quite common and are highly advisable in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand.
A gap year helps the students in brainstorming new ideas and preparing themselves for their future. Although, taking a gap year requires a lot of research and consideration of other several factors.
Here’s a look at some of the benefits and disadvantages of taking a gap year between your high school and college.
If you have planned to take a gap year, then here’s how you can make the most of it.
#1. Better Performance In College
There were times when gap years were looked down by professors and admission officials during admissions. Nowadays, teachers appreciate student’s taking gap years because the reports suggest higher student GPAs and better participation. Gap years help students to have a positive attitude towards college.
#2. Explore Your Interests
When you start studying, students often make the mistake of committing themselves to just studying without realizing their other interests. There are times when students even change their majors in college because of lack of interest. Taking a gap year helps them to evaluate their interests, hence saving on their tuition bills and efforts. If students take some time before starting college, they’ll be able to enjoy their academic experience.
#3. Enjoy All The Adventures That Come Your Way
You will be 18 just once, make the most of it. You have no job, no loans to pay, no kids, no family to take care of, no homework, so why not enjoy this time? The time before you become an adult, you should experience as much as you can. Don’t miss out your chances to learn as much as you can. Ditch the monotony of what teh other college students might be delving into and explore the world to see things from a new perspective. Learn a new language or take up a hobby, learn and grow during your gap year for an overall personal development.
#4. You’ll Become More Flexible
A gap year can challenge you in an entirely new way, instead of academic or extracurricular challenges that you face in high school, a gap year could imply cross-cultural and language challenges.
All these new challenges will help you in becoming more flexible. Students who take gap years are said to be better prepared for transitions and are more flexible in dynamic environments which help them adapt to different cultures and mingle with different diversities across the globe.
#5. Know What’s Important For You Before Others
College is a fun experience, but before you step into it try to understand your interests. Before you make your friends the center of your Universe, prioritize yourself. If you have already traveled the wider world with all its complexities, you’ll be able to understand the bigger issues of humanity in a better manner.
#6. You’ll Have A Shinier Resume
Oftentimes, a gap year involves staying in one spot and soaking up its culture, part of which means getting a job. No matter where you work -- a sandwich stand in India or the embassy in London -- you’ll have valuable (international) experience for your resume and that can explain your ability to do business with customers from different cultures. If you travel on the shoestring budget, you might even have some earnings left to use on college tuition.
#7. You’ll Be More Adapting
Once you take a gap year, you’ll be forced into new situations, a new group of friends, new language and new cultural norms which will only make you more adaptive. College requires adaptation skills, acquiring which will help you handle difficult situations.
#8. You Can Make Up For The Lost Time In High School
If you ever slept through your French class, fly to France, where you’ll be forced to use the language every day plus you’ll get to eat croissant whipped with heavy cream and maple syrup... yumm!! Spend your gap year exploring new places and gaining new experiences. A gap year is your time to refine your skills and imbibe new talents.
#9. You Will Not Find It Difficult To Make New Friends
Once you explore new places while on your gap year, you are sure to make new friends. Imagine having a friend in Italy or a pen pal in Paris? Their experiences and skill will help you expand your horizons and enrich your skills. In addition to gaining new skills, you’ll get to visit some great places during your college breaks.
#10. You Will Always Have Something To Talk About
Joining college after a gap year will give you so much to talk about and so many experiences to share. You’ll have first-hand opinions to share about people, about places and ideas. With so much experience in hand, you can always skip the same old questions like “how are you?” or “where are you from?”
#11. You’ll Get Time To Think
Taking a gap year will give you time to unfold yourself easily because in college things move very fast. Give yourself room to think and breathe while you take a long train ride or stroll through new towns. You’ll be surprised if you let your mind wander into new thoughts.
#12. Recharge Your Brain And Heart
Many students experience burnout after the hectic schedules and exam routines during their high school. Cramming for exams, filling out college applications, proms and late night studies exhaust the students, both mentally and physically. A gap year helps them rejuvenate and freshen up their minds. They can recharge their brain and hearts to start fresh and healthy.
A gap year will teach you, stretch you and challenge you, but in ways that will make you a better person. Give your worked up brain and body a break, let your emotions set to a normal pace. Channelize them into something constructive and productive instead of following the traditional path of hard work.
Check out this list of benefits that a gap year can offer you.
#1. You Gain First-Hand Experience
The experience you gain in your gap year helps you become better prepared for college, both academically and socially.
#2. Longest Vacation Ever
Once in college, you cannot expect to take long vacations. Your gap year will be your longest vacation before you kick-start your career. Taking long breaks after joining university will be a far cry.
#3. Earn Yourself Some Money
It is not necessary for you to just chill throughout your gap year. You can look out for some internships or part-time job opportunities and earn a handful. This will help you in unburdening the pressure of college fees and learning the otherworldly things.
#4. Spend Some Alone Time
Just like we said, a gap year is all about exploring new places; it will help you spend some time alone, away from home.
While it may have its share of benefits, a gap year might also cause some troubles in your future plans. Have a look at few of them.
#1. You Need Money For Travelling
If you thought that traveling is all you will do in your gap year, then kindly rethink. Travelling needs money, a lot of money. Money for transportation, for hotel, accomodation, food and entertainment. Rethink your expenses before you plan a gap year.
#2. You Might Forget What You Learned
Taking a year’s gap will surely make you forget things that you learned, especially if you do not have a sharp memory. Resuming college after forgetting your course details will give you a tough time in classes.
#3. Risk Of Losing Your Seat
If you did not revert to an offer letter by the university because you were on a break, you will risk your seat in college. Losing your university seat is a big loss and will make you regret your decisions throughout the next year.
#4. Bad For The CV
Taking a gap year needs to be recognized by the University if not so, it can cause troubles for you in the future. A gap year between high school and college can look really bad on your CV if you do not get organized.
#5. Waste Of Time
If you are taking a gap year just to have fun and chill, don’t do it. A gap year is not meant for watching Netflix and chilling, it is supposed to be utilized in a productive manner. If you don’t get organized during your break, then you’ll only end up wasting your future time as well.
#6. Disapproval Of Parents
Just because you think taking a gap year is important for your personal growth, it doesn’t imply that your parents believe the same. It is difficult to convince your parents to let you live a year as per your wishes in the midst of your academic session. Parents are most likely to reject the idea and will push you into joining the college as early as possible.
Do you think that taking a gap year is a great idea? Let us know in the comment section below.
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