Many of us have thought about taking a gap year — the year or so between leaving mandatory schooling and entering higher education.
This idea largely for younger people is often discouraged by older generations when we bring it up. The truth is, we all got shoved into school from a very young age, and we’ve never had the time to focus on ourselves or really open our minds to all the possibilities around us.
While some of us were lucky enough to have attended schools that offered many options for classes to show us what the world around us can offer, some had few options.
Because of this, young people tend to feel pressured to attend college right away. People make college seem like a place where you’ll automatically know what you want to do — a place where your life will piece itself together perfectly.
But that’s not always the case.
In many countries, it’s normal to take a gap year. Students can travel, volunteer or take on internships. However they choose to spend their time, these people are given the chance to more thoroughly figure out what they want to do. Even Malia Obama decided to take a gap year before attending Harvard.
Those who are unsure of what they want to pursue in their future could really benefit from taking a year off from student pressures.
Traveling while young, meeting new people, not having to worry about car payments or student loans can all have an impact on our life outlook. As time moves forward, there are fewer chances in life where we can do this.
Most people don’t think about the internship opportunities either. It’s actually easier to get an internship during the academic year since most people can’t take them due to school workloads. It can provide a more direct pathway to getting understanding what you want to do before you go spending thousands of dollars. Sometimes, the connections you make can even link you to a company that will pay or partially pays for your schooling. These kinds of internships create knowledge and connections.
Taking a gap year is also a great way to keep from becoming burnt out academically. After years and years of school, sometimes people start to feel like they’re just going through the motions like a mindless robot.
This is totally understandable and normal. Taking the time to focus your energy towards something else will refresh your mind enough to return to school with more energy and motivation.
People also take gap years after college before entering the workforce. There are countless opportunities to travel to different countries or volunteer. Sometimes people just need to be somewhere they haven’t been their whole lives to put things into perspective.
Life for young students can be chaotic, which led me to feel rushed and pressured to attend college right away.
I love college, but there is some part of me that feels it would have been beneficial in taking a year to figure out exactly what I want to do.
Encouraging high school students to take a gap year could really save them stress, time and money down the road. Having the ability to free your mind and try different things could lead to some life-changing experiences.
Kasey Haren can be reached at [email protected]