BENEFITS OF A GAP YEAR
For most graduated high school students, college is the next step to obtain an education as it is the gateway to open opportunities and get a chance to have a better profession. Some students have decided on their major before starting to apply to college, but there are also those who haven’t decided what major they are going to learn. Therefore, some of these students take some time off to make the perfect decision before entering college. The time is referred to as a gap year.
So, what is a gap year? A gap year is a time between high school and college when students take a break to pursue other interests or passions. Not only to pursue, but some students also take a break from months until years as they barely know what major they will enter. From another perspective, people might see taking a gap year as a waste of time. But according to some people who took a gap year, it gave some benefits as people can do some useful stuff or learn new skills to enter college. Here are some benefits of taking a gap year:
- Gain some work experiences
For some people who took a gap year, they usually use that time to seek work experience. Taking a gap year gives the chance to find some job vacancies and pursue a career in the middle of the gap year. Not just work experience, but students can also take international organizations or volunteer programs. With this experience, the company can give you letters of recommendation and certifications to boost your resume. Looking for opportunities outside college can also help you determine your major in college.
- Develop new skills
A gap year is a suitable time for students who want to spend their free time developing new skills. Maybe you want to learn tennis, cooking or soft skills such as time management. These new skills can be developed when you allocate your time to learn. Learning new skills during the gap year can help you manage college better, as it is beneficial especially if you want to enter organizations in your college. Even if the skills are not related to your major, at least learning those skills is worth it and maybe can be useful next time.
- Regain physical and mental health
Students spent years from elementary until high school, mostly 12 years to complete high school. Maybe you experience something that affects your health, physically and mentally. Instead of immediately entering college and spending another 4 years, you can take a break and focus on healing your physical and mental health. If maybe you have a sickness which can delay your activity or have a problem or trauma during high school, taking a gap year can precipitate the process of healing. So, if you feel like you are not ready to enter college, you can focus on healing your body, mind, and soul.
- Decide goals to achieve
If you feel like there is nothing to achieve meanwhile you are one step closer to entering college, you can take a gap year and use that whole year to set some goals. Setting some goals can motivate you to excel in college, as you are motivated to achieve your goals. It can help you to prepare before college and set college resolutions. Spending a gap year also can help you to set targets such as GPA, organizations, or certifications which can help you to be successful in the future. By being motivated, you can even find the real purpose of life and be thankful for that.
So, what do you think of taking a gap year? Is it useful and beneficial, or such a waste of time? Remember, taking a gap year is not about right or wrong things, just trust your decisions and spend that time with useful stuff and don’t waste the opportunities in life.
References:
Farrington, R. (2019, June 10). Here’s every reason you should take a gap year before college. Forbes. Retrieved August 13, 2022, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/robertfarrington/2019/06/10/heres-every-reason-you-should-take-a-gap-year-before-college/?sh=6bf704221ac8
Moody, J. (2022, January 31). Considering a gap year? Here are the pros and cons you need to know. Post University. Retrieved August 13, 2022, from https://post.edu/blog/pros-and-cons-of-a-gap-year/
Pacific Discovery Outreach. (2021, May 15). The benefits of taking a gap year. Pacific Discovery. Retrieved August 13, 2022, from https://www.pacificdiscovery.org/helpful-info/blog/gap-year-benefits/
Stine, J. (2021, September 6). 12 gap year benefits your future self will thank you for. GoAbroad.Com. Retrieved August 13, 2022, from https://www.goabroad.com/articles/gap-year/gap-year-benefits