7 Reasons Why Taking a Gap Year Is Beneficial

Whether it be before, during, or after university taking a gap year is valuable in many ways. Taking time off helps you discover once-in-a-lifetime experiences, increase your employment opportunities, and boosts your overall well-being. As a society there is one commonly accepted path in life. Individuals are pressured to get a highschool diploma, complete a degree, get a high paying job, start a family, and then work until retirement. There is no specified time for a break or time to figure out if the path is the right one. To many, life is about jumping from one thing to the next and wanting to grow up. By fast forwarding through life we take the present for granted and end up lost in all the possibilities. A gap year is the non-traditional way to learn more about the world and yourself.

1. Reassess Future Plans

Have you ever wondered if you chose the right major? The right career path? The right job? If you have asked yourself these questions, taking a gap year might be just what you need. Taking time off offers a chance to completely change the directionality of life before it is too late. Many individuals spend thousands of dollars only to find out their current lifestyle is not what they want or were expecting. I feel like I would have benefited from taking a gap year before university. I am unsure of the projection of my future and whether I am able to reach my full potential with my current choices.

2. Develop Communication and Interpersonal skills

By taking a gap year to travel, there is more time to discover new opportunities. New options open up, such as getting a full-time job, visiting another country, volunteering, getting involved, and networking. All these choices will be at an advantage when applying for a job in the future. I took time from my senior year to develop my work experience and gain skills that will transfer to my future career. My year was spent learning teamwork and communication in a workplace environment. This has helped me to submit strong resumes, use my communication skills to build relationships, and led me to job worthy recommendation letters. I have even used my interpersonal skills to ace interviews and present my ideas more effectively.

3. Explore Experiences

Having personal time off with no parental, academic, or career pressure leads to one main focus: yourself. There are numerous opportunities that you may have told yourself you don’t have enough time, money, or confidence to do. If you have a bucket list, now is the time to explore and find yourself. Traveling and going outside your comfort zone will result in you meeting new people, building connections, and hearing other people’s stories. A highlight of my high school career was traveling for sports and meeting people through leadership events. I made lifelong friends during my trips and gained valuable perspectives in the process. Without this break from academics I wouldn’t have been able to make the memories I have today.

4. Let Go of Responsibilities

Before being tied down with kids, a significant other, or a full-time job, it is important to live your youth. Taking a break after university will allow you to be free without a long-term commitment to anything. Instead of graduating high school early, I got a full-time job. During this time, I hardly got a chance to focus on my needs and only the needs of the company. And because I focused on being an adult when I didn’t have to I feel like I missed out. The ability to take a gap year is a step to freedom especially when there is no pressure and opinions of other people.

5. Volunteer Experience

If you do not know what career you want to pursue or lack satisfaction in your work, volunteer work may be personally fulfilling. This is your chance to make a difference and better the lives of others. By witnessing others who are less fortunate than you, you may increase your appreciation for the little things. Volunteer work is a great way to exchange stories and to hear different paths people have gone through. Especially working with older people who have already lived through your experiences. My experience at work and networking through volunteering allowed me to gain advice and opinions based on the life choices that others have that lead them to where they are today.

6. Mental Health

Taking a gap year is associated with reducing stress, promoting emotional changes, and increasing adaptive capabilities. As a result, students may leave a gap year feeling refreshed, gain a higher sense of confidence, self-esteem, and discover who they really are. I realized during my time in isolation that I push many thoughts below the surface and only during this time could I fully work on myself. A lack of outside distractions can open many chances to begin to heal. I realized how important the little things in life are, whether it be relationships with others, nature, or time with yourself. Being alone forces you to consider where you can grow and improve to become your best self.

7. Finding Your Purpose

To many, college is a chance to discover who you are and to find a passion that suits your interest. However, this can cost time and thousands of dollars. Taking a gap year would be a cheaper alternative in terms of figuring out what you want to do with the rest of your life and only taking a small fraction of the time. In this time someone could realize going to college is not the best financial decision at the time and instead pursue entrepreneurship or immediately join the workforce. I found my love for studying people outside of school and to this day I am still passionate about it. For some people, it takes real life experiences to discover what their purpose in life is.

Conclusion

I hope that my topic can persuade other college students why taking a gap year is worth the risk and attending college doesn’t have to be the only option in terms of benefiting oneself. I learned that there are numerous reasons to take a gap year and each path can be tailored to the needs of each individual. Only the individual knows what they are looking for in their future and the type of break that will make their time most productive. The most important part of a gap year is that the experience is beneficial and that it will help the individual in their future endeavors. I wish to continue learning about gap years, especially the question of, “In what ways can taking a gap year benefit postgraduate students?”.

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