Gap Year Or College: Six Important Things to Consider
Gap years are something most of us don’t know about or if we do, we don’t know whether to take one. A lot of students straddle the fence of deciding if a year off before college is necessary. No matter which road you choose, you still have to make a plan for either path you take.
If you don’t know what a gap year is, it’s another way of saying a year off or a break before starting something! The reason why I took one was because that I didn’t feel ready or prepared for college. That was a feeling I was too ashamed or embarrassed to tell anyone, especially my mom. I wrote my whole experience on how I wasn’t ready and this post is to share what led to my decision.
The one thing that no one tells you about is how you do not have immediately to go to college right after graduating. I told my mom about most of the meetings I had with my guidance counselors and she brought up the idea that I should take a year off. At the time when I was contemplating it, I thought to myself that could use my time wisely. As well as find what it is I wish to do with my life.
Right before we go over my exact thoughts I had to consider, I would also like to say that this is an independent choice. You do not need to feel pressured or validated to simply enroll at a college or university based on what everyone else is doing.
Yes, I had those thoughts of feeling behind or what everyone will be much ahead of me. Some of your classmates may have decided, but that doesn’t mean that you have to so quickly. If you did, that’s great! And if you haven’t, don’t let that bother you. Here are some reasons why you should consider taking a gap year before college.
1. Your gap year can be a much-needed break from the studies
I know that you probably though that sounded nice just from reading it! It’s much longer than the one-day and week-long holidays. Three hundred and sixty-five days of a school break to do anything you want! To me, that sounded very enticing and something I wouldn’t have to think twice about.
Shall I put things into perspective for you? Most of us have been in daycare for about one to two years. Following years after, that’s when pre-k comes along with schooling years until middle and high school. That’s a total of about thirteen years. Convert that to days and you’ve attended 2,340 school days. The math makes it sound so exhausting and shows a much-needed break.
You are allowed to take one year off before college because you deserve it. All your hard work proves that you’ve done the education and you do need some time for yourself. Don’t feel like the one year is a selfish choice because, in reality, it is not. One year can do a lot when you use it wisely, especially for your future to come.
2. You can use your time wisely
Something that we are not told by people before we are that time is very valuable. Trust me, as someone who works a job that takes a lot of time during a week, you’ll be wishing you had more time to do this or that.
During your school year, the majority of your time went to studies and it made up most of your childhood until now. It’s not a bad thing, especially when you got to maybe pick up a sport or find out you exactly love playing in the band! It wasn’t just about education, but you met a lot of cool people or even discovered a few things about yourself.
When you take a gap year before starting college, you can do anything you feel is necessary for that time frame. Let’s say you really liked a subject and you want to dive into learn even more. Or that you enjoyed volleyball and you want to spend your summer playing on a local team. Those moments that made you who you are all the way until graduation still means something no matter how big or small it was.
You could do things like work to save up for college or even breathe to play video games. Or maybe you got an award for having perfect attendance and that taught you how punctual you are. The time is yours and yours alone. There are so many hours in the days ahead you can spend time doing as your please during that year. This brings me to my next point!
3. You can use practice or experience your choice of career
When I was in high school, I was an elementary intern who worked with third-grade classrooms and STEM for the three years I was attending. In that setting, I was able to work with children of all ages, assisting in things they needed help with.
Yes, I did enjoy it and loved every second! Even though I work in a classroom, it made me realize that being a teacher wasn’t really for me.
It’s not about the work or anything, because I did learn a lot about how a classroom works, the technology, and so forth. The thing is, the lesson plans, conferences, and so much added on top of the regular job itself.
Being a teacher is a blessing, don’t get me wrong and I thank all the teachers for what they’ve done for me when I was in school. Working under teachers allowed me to open my eyes and appreciate how hard a teacher works to make sure we are ready.
How Experiences Teach Us About Ourselves
What I’m trying to say is that I was able to experience first-hand the responsibility of being a teacher. I would be more open to helping a classroom than being over one full-time. During your gap year, you could find places or talk with people in the profession you wish to pursue in college. You can become an intern or take a part-time job. A secretary at a lawyer’s office or even a worker at a local zoo.
Or like what I did, even though I applied and worked some jobs, it showed me reality of a lot of professions. Like when I was a barista and I thought if I should open a cafe!
Spending time and gaining a little experience firsthand will determine if you like something you want to pursue. See what it’s like first before wanting to immediately jump into enrolling. Trust me, it’s similar to being unhappy working in retail and randomly finding you have passion working in a kitchen at a small restaurant.
We all go through many stages in life and when we experience what we thought was best, it changes your perspective a lot. That’s coming from a person who always changes her mind and find that I enjoyed things I didn’t even think about!
4. You can decide if the career is something you see yourself doing long-term
My next though of consideration was something I always felt deep down, especially my freshman year. All throughout high school, I heard some conversations about getting a career that would fulfill financial needs, such as buying a house and being ready to take care of a family. A few of them would say that they could get rich if they became doctors or simply joined the military. To me, this made no sense and I fairly didn’t see the point of taking on something for one objective.
Why can’t it be pursuing something you have a passion for long-term? A lot of successful people didn’t even go to college and have a high school degree or they simply dropped out. What mattered to them was their passion and talent. During my junior year, my science teacher had us watch this documentary about Steve Jobs. Did you know he ACTUALLY dropped out, but he’s running one of the biggest corporations that we know and use to this day.
You don’t necessarily need a degree for most things nowadays. Of course, you will need one if you wish to become a doctor, lawyer, psychologist, and more. If you wish to become a photographer, you can be self-taught unless you want to build your skill level and need a certification. Maybe being a photographer, you might want to work for companies or the movie industry. Remember that in the day and age we are living in, we have everything at our fingertips. All it takes is time, effort, and hard work to advance on what you want to do.
5. You’ll find that your hobbies or talents can help your path
Growing up, I loved doing art and writing stories, simply stretching out my imagination. In middle school, I wrote a four-chapter romance book and I had no idea how to end it. You might as well call it a free write or fanfiction because reading the chapters now… Gosh, it had no direction and seemed more like a play.
In my high school theatre class, we were assigned to modernize an old story turning it into a director’s script. The project was so much fun to me with the idea to make a play out of an old fable or fairytale. We read aloud every group’s script and everyone enjoyed mine, so it was chosen and I became a director.
As much as I loved the assignment, the whole project was stressful! I thought I could be a director like Steven Spielberg or maybe even a side producer. Oh, how does that project close that door for me? From casting to thinking of what everyone should wear to even revising, I found that I’d be good as a screenwriter!
A lot of us are born with so many natural gifts and talents that most of us have to take time and learn. For me, my gifts would be writing, drawing, helping others, creating things, and a few more. I’m still discovering some and eventually, they will lead and show me what it is I’m supposed to do with my life.
How Does That Apply To Your Decision
The only thing I can do now is using my current gifts to help and inspire others with my blog. No matter what venture I do and other projects I choose in life, it’ll make sense with time.
Your individual gifts are so beautiful and unique to the point where they are showing you your originality. People with the gift of coding may have more patience while those who can help others manage time well. All of us are different in our own right and no matter what it is that we possess, we can do so much in life with them.
Choose a career or life path that compliments your gift AND shares a common passion with something you love. Do something that makes you happy and trust me, you’ll see that it’ll be worth it!
6. You can find and reconnect with yourself again
For most of my middle school and early high school, I was lost and did not know who I was. From changing my hair to following the behavior of others. It got to the point where if someone asked who I was, I couldn’t even answer truthfully.
Some or most of us, do things if it’s in the best interest of others instead of ourselves. For example, I stopped listening to One Direction and Five Seconds of Summer because people told me that black people listen to rap and r&b. The things that genuinely brought us happiness were put away because we wanted society or others to accept us.
I personally need the gap year to reconnect with myself again. It’s definitely not an easy road to simply pick up from where you left off and add on to what was originally there. Before entering the college arena, I felt that I needed to know my boundaries or who I was before giving a persona to others. It didn’t feel right for me at the time and I wanted people to know me and not who I wanted them to perceive.
If you feel like you need that time to fully heal or know who you are, then take it. Become comfortable of who you are and don’t let anything shift what it is you have. Now that I’m in my twenties, where I am now, I’m very content and feel closer to myself that how I was in high school.
One Way Or Another, You Got This!
Summer is the time when it’s about closing those doors and preparing for what’s next. Whether you’ve just graduated or maybe contemplating what school to apply for, just remember there’s so much time. There’s time to make big choices to even figuring out what would life be like years from now.
No matter if you even see that your summer can be your “gap season,” don’t feel bad if you need some time. Taking a gap year before college is a personal choice that is not selfish nor wasteful. Whether you decide to take one or not, remember that there are some things to consider before you take your first step on college grounds.
If you feel like you are ready, then walk with your head high and no regrets. And if you choose to stay back, remind yourself that you are holding yourself back just for a little while before taking a leap into your next chapter.
Good luck and best wishes to your decision! Thank you for reading!
LOVE, MYA
