Planning A Gap Year? Know The Pros And Cons

A gap year is a great time to take some time off and focus on other areas of life outside of school. Hence, an increasing number of students are taking a gap year before they get into college. It is seen as a healthy way to start a college career. For those who don’t know, a gap year is a time between finishing high school and starting college that a student uses to work, volunteer, travel, study courses abroad or travel. A gap year abroad may not necessarily be 12 months. It can be longer or shorter, depending on the student’s needs. 

Pros Of Taking A Gap Year

It Is A Break To Recharge Your Mind

A gap year gives the student the time to reflect, gain life experience, decide what they want in college, and gain some insight into their own personal skills and goals so that they have the right career path in mind. The students can feel quite refreshed after recharging their academic batteries from the exhaustion of the challenges in their high school years. Taking some time off will give them perspective, allowing them to reflect on their goals without academic stress.

Exploring Opportunities

School keeps us in a protective shell from the outside world with academic responsibilities, outside of which we are held in a comfort zone with family and friends around us. But what really counts are the life experiences outside of school. These experiences are much other than classroom experiences. You will be free to explore these life experiences during the gap year, like traveling, exploring the world outside your own state or country or getting to know people from different cultures or outside your comfort zone.

Gaining New Life Skills

Along with life experiences, you will also gain new life skills. You can utilize your gap year abroad to learn to budget, manage your time well, cook, keep your home clean, and navigate your new locality. You must gain these life skills before you go off to college as it will help your college experience to be far less overwhelming.

Cons Of Taking A Gap Year

Transition Back to School Could Be More Difficult

Although taking a gap year has many advantages, it may not be a perfect solution for many students as it can derail your plan and make it harder for you to get back on track. Since you already have the school mode on, taking a gap year can make it difficult to get back into the swing of things. It may also disturb your study habits and learning abilities, especially if you are not particularly passionate about education.

Feeling Behind Your Peers

When you return to school after a gap year, some of your peers may be a year ahead of you, and you may be the older freshman in your class. While this is not an issue for many students, you may need to reconsider your decision if you feel behind everyone with whom you graduated high school with.

Summing Up
Keep in mind that taking a gap year abroad can be expensive and needs a lot of planning. So plan wisely and consider all the factors before deciding anything so that you can make the most out of this time.