Taking a gap year between your final year of school and before beginning university can be a great choice to make in life. It can give you a chance to learn about yourself, travel, decide what you want to do in the future, or earn some extra cash to get you through those university years. But taking a gap year is an important decision to make and one that should be made with careful consideration.
The first main consideration to make is whether or not you have decided what to study at university. Like many other people your age, you may be confused and not have any real idea of what the future holds for you in terms of career. Taking a gap year can be a great idea if this is the case. It will give you an opportunity to pursue many different experiences and learn more about your passions and what is important to you. This will make the decision a lot easier. You may realise what you would like to spend your working days doing. You could even begin a traineeship in a career path you have considered and then go on to university with a clearer idea of what that job actually involves. If you have decided what to study, a gap year can give you time to make sure.
For many, a gap year is the perfect time in which to travel overseas. Most people do not have any major financial commitments at this stage in their lives. For many people, there will not be a better time in their lives to travel, because of the freedom in finances and time that they have. Many overseas opportunities such as working and volunteering abroad can be a great opportunity to learn about the world, travel, earn money and get valuable work experience all at the same time. Many organisations offer programs catered especially for school leavers and will arrange all the details of travel for you. If working abroad or volunteering abroad doesn’t sound inspiring to you, think about a round the world trip or backpacking for a few months.
For some, taking a gap year can be a last minute decision for many different reasons. However, it is very important to have some sort of plan during your year off. It is important to spend the year productively. Even if you do just need time to relax after many years of study, it is important that you do seriously consider what you are going to do. It is likely that many of your friends will be starting university, so if you do not have anything productive to do, you might find yourself longing to be with them.
University can be a huge financial strain, especially if you have to move away from home to attend. A year off can be a valuable time to earn much needed funds and to get together some savings for the future.
Many universities and institutions are increasingly recognising the value of the gap year. Many people who have taken a gap year come go back to study with a much greater sense of maturity than their peers and a greater motivation to study their chosen degree. Nagging parents may encourage you to go straight to university, but do not underestimate the value of taking time off from study in order to reiterate and confirm that you really are sure about what you want to study.
Megan Styles - null
