The benefits of taking a gap year, and how to make the most of it

Taking a year’s break between the end of high school and start of an under graduate course is a concept that is slowly catching on in India. Students in countries like UK, USA and Canada routinely take gap years as a part of their culture. Students take a year off either between high school and under graduation or between graduation and post-graduation. Whenever it is taken, the purpose behind it remains the same, to take some time off to reflect on one’s choices and gain more meaningful real life experiences which will provide an enriched understanding of the course of study one takes up while in college. In this article we explore both why it is a good idea to take a gap year and also, how one can make the most out of the gap year.
We first take a look at some of the reasons why taking a gap year can be beneficial,

Why should you take a gap year?

1. It helps you recover from the exhausting grind of studying for the final years of your high school program – of course, there is an entire summer for it, but really the summer passes by too soon, and taking a year of to relax and rejuvenate may be just what the doctor ordered. Of course, one must be careful to structure one’s time during the gap year productively to reap its full benefits

2. It gives you enough time to try different courses and decide on what interests you. This can be especially helpful if you are not sure as to what you want to do next. Some students take time for attending coaching and getting certifications, which are related to their intended course of study

3. You can use this opportunity to fund part of your education expense –Many undergraduate students who take a year of from education are choosing to work for a year in order to earn money to fund part of their education expenses

4. It helps you get in touch with yourself – The gap year gives you time to reflect and think about the things that matter to you the most. You can take time to pursue your interests outside of studies, travel around the world, or at least the country and get to meet new people and see new sights all of which can be personally enriching

How to make the most of your gap year?

After discussing a few of the potential benefits of taking a gap year, we move on to the question of how to structure a gap year so we are able to derive maximum benefit from it. All gap years are not the same Just as all calories are not the same, a calorie from butter will have quite a different nutritional profile from a calorie from carrot, in the same way a gap year spent in constructive activity will most definitely be quite different from an entire year spent in front of the couch. We take a look at some ways in which you can make the most of your gap year should you choose to opt for it.

1. Take up a volunteering assignment – taking up a volunteering assignment in the field of study that you intend to take up can add a lot of value to your overall experience, while at the same time giving you the opportunity to interact with people from different backgrounds and broadening your experience. With many volunteering opportunities being posted online, it is easy to find one in your area of interest. You can for example, volunteer to keep the accounts for an NGO in your city if you are interested in the accounting field, or volunteer to design a web page or write web content for an NGO if that is your forte. Apart from giving your hands on experience a stint with volunteering can also add a lot of weight to the SOP you write for admission to your coveted university.

2. Travel – Travel, even if it is to the next town or next village, really broadens the mind. Not all of us can afford that round the world trip on our gap year, but we can definitely use the time to travel to another city in order to reap its benefits. Even a stay cation for that matter will let you see your own city in a new light and get your head out of the books.

3. Take up a hobby – The gap year is an excellent time to take up any pursuit or passion that you may have left on the wayside in your daily grind to score marks. Interested in photography? Join a meetup group of photographers in your city, and go on expeditions with them. Loved playing with Legos as a kid? Join any of the various Lego building clubs in your city, or spend time building and designing a massive structure with your childhood Legos. Once again a hobby you pursue with passion can definitely jazz up your SOP or student essay. Most colleges are looking for students with multidimensional personalities rather than someone who is just into academics.

4. Prep for your gateway exams – A gap year can be an excellent time to prepare for entrance exams such as SAT, GRE or GMAT and also language proficiency tests such as IELTS and TOEFL. A high score on these tests will help you get into the best universities offering courses in your field of study.

To know more about your options after high school and how a gap year can benefit you, get in touch with Global Tree, the most trusted overseas education consultant in India.