If you find yourself facing a roadblock, and the endless pondering and counseling sessions have done you no good, you know it’s time to take a step back and evaluate what you really want out of life. Yes, I’m talking about the ever-dreaded ‘Gap Year’. Although it is quite uncommon in our country, it might be exactly what you need to hit that reset button on your life.
A Gap Year is not necessarily applicable to just students, adults too decide to take some much needed time off from their hectic working lives. A ‘traditional’ gap year is when students take time off to travel before setting out to university. During this year, a student can participate in exchange programs, carry out volunteer work, or even attend various workshops and try out different activities, that you don’t necessarily need to leave the country for.
USnews.com reported that Harvard University’s acceptance letters suggest that students take some time off before enrolling at University. However, taking a gap year doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re struggling to figure what you want out of life, it can also be that you just want to live life and take things slow before you dive into further studies and responsibilities.
An ‘Adult Gap Year’ maybe fuelled by wanderlust and a need for some change, nevertheless, it is just as rejuvenating. But if you’re an adult who’s contemplating taking a year off, make sure that you have sufficient funds in your bank account to sustain, for a year. If you’re going to be travelling this entire period, you would obviously need twice the amount of money as someone who decides to stay put in his own city, but a well allocated, thoroughly pre-planned budget can help you make the most of your time of using minimal monetary resources.
While people are still afraid to take the leap, and each individual has his own set of pros and cons to weigh. Although, losing a year is daunting to many, there’s no reason why it couldn’t possibly be one of, if not, the best year of your life –
You will have time to think about what you want out of life
If you’re toiling with the idea of not going to university altogether, or if there’s an alternate career path that you want to take, taking some time off will help you zero in on what exactly you want to do. If you’re on an exchange program where you’re teaching English, it could be that you find your calling there. Or if you’re at an art workshop, chances are you decide to dig deeper into this fascinatingly colourful world
Your progress is at an upward trajectory and you have a better perspective on things
When you travel, you meet new people, you’re introduced to different cultures and the experiences you have formed a huge part of your progress. You learn to toughen up and adapt to any situation, which makes it easier for you to fit into any environment you walk into.
You have a lot to share
Your experiences that are unique to you are definitely going to be delightful to whomever you talk to them about. You’ll have first-hand opinions to share about people, places and ideas that your peers might have never even heard of. And contrary to popular belief, it definitely will make you shine brighter in the eyes of your future employer.
There’s nothing like an adventure in your prime years
You aren’t going to get any younger than you already are, so you might as well make the most of it. As you get older, your responsibilities double and that’s what makes it a little more tough to take time off from ‘life’. So enjoy it while you can, because these years aren’t coming back to you.
If you’re studying, you could realise what you want to do for the rest of your life
Exchange programs, volunteer work or short courses, whatever be the way you spend your gap year, it could help you decide what you want to do, and thus makes choosing your course of study at university much easier. It can save you so much time and money, if you properly take time to think about what you want to pursue, rather than choosing a particular path and then deciding that it isn’t the one for you.
