Why you should take a gap year


Do you ever wish you were one of those students who took a gap year? Well, why don’t you? What better time to travel and get out to see the world than as a young adult, free of too much responsibility but old enough to have the opportunity to travel the world without supervision by your parents. If you can’t think of a good reason to take a gap year, how about looking at things this way – why wouldn’t you take a gap year?

Maturity

Being fresh out of college doesn’t mean you are now wiser than Gandalf, that stuff takes time. But if you really want to mature and learn about the world around you, then a gap year could be just the thing to help this happen. We get it, the majority of your peers are still going to be focused on keeping other people happy, keeping up with whatever is trending and organizing their plans for the weekend. A gap year enables you to break away from the norm and travel to different cultures, to experience different ways of life. Taking yourself out of the place you grew up is the best way to figure out the things that really matter to you. If you don’t take yourself away from your comfortable surroundings, it will take you longer to see the bigger picture of what life can be like for other people, and to realize what is on offer out there in the world!

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Why you should take a gap year

Learn to appreciate

A gap year can give you time to appreciate how easy you have had it up until now, unless you work full time and study, which is highly unlikely! A gap year will teach you that to get a ‘real job,’ then you need to hit the books and obtain that degree to get a good income when all is said and done. You can go one step further and use the time to travel to developing countries to see how well-off you have been at those times you think you are broke. People in developing countries are often so happy, even when they have so little, we can all take that home with us wake up more appreciative each day. You can travel to any country though, whether they are similar in privilege to the USA or not, wherever you travel to is a great chance to learn about the world.

Overall experience

Competition is everywhere in the modern world, so take a gap year and see what is out there regarding competition. Obtaining a qualification in your chosen field is one thing, but will you have the necessary experience to back that up at your next job interview?
Focus on developing personal skills in this time away from your studies, if you are on an internship or looking to continue education further down the line, try finding a position that will pay for your tutor fees and build on your experience in the real working environment at the same time.
Remember that your gap year is a time of freedom away from the pressures of modern society and having to live up to what is ‘expected’ of you. Go on many adventures and soak up as much as you can, in ten years time the chance of a ‘gap year’ will not be possible so seize this opportunity while time is still available to do so.

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Why you should take a gap year

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