SHOULD YOU TAKE A GAP YEAR AFTER HIGH SCHOOL?

Photo credit: Olive Cooke 

First things first, do you know exactly what you want to study? And do you know where you want it to take you after university?

I’m starting with this important question because during my final years of high school this question was the source of immense anxiety for me. The truth was, I had no idea what ‘career path’ I wanted to go down. I didn’t even know what I wanted to do next weekend, let alone in the next five years. As someone with a high enough score to get into pretty much any course I wanted, there was honestly nothing that sparked my interest. I didn’t want to be lawyer, I didn’t want to be a ‘business person’, I didn’t want to be a nurse, or a journalist, or a teacher. And that was about as far as my career scope was back then. So, I took a gap year, which turned into a gap two-years, which turned into a gap three-years, and then four.

You could say I know a thing or two about gap years. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean I am for or against them. In a lot of ways, I wish I went straight from high school to university. But then I would have chosen a subject I didn’t want to study simply because I had to, and ended up in a job I hated $30k in debt. 

If you know for a fact you want to study law and you want to be a human rights lawyer, then don’t hesitate girl, go save the world! Now is the best time to be a university student, your young, you still live with your parents, all your friends are doing it, and you will have your degree by the time your 22 or 23. But if you have some doubt about what you want to do. Do not choose a university degree just yet. If you are unsure now, I can guarantee you that you will question yourself every day until you figure out what it is you want to do. So, for those of you who are like me and need a little more time to figure out who they are. Here are ten reasons to take a gap year.

1. You’re 18, you don’t know who you are yet.

You, your parents and your teachers may think you’re an adult now. But you’re really not much wiser than you were last year. You’ve spent the last few years going to school from 8am until 3pm every week day and hanging out with your friends at the local shopping centre on the weekends. It’s time to take life a little more seriously. You need to get your shit together before you make one of the biggest decisions of your life.

2. You just spent the last thirteen years of your life in school, take some time to do you.

Relax. Create a schedule that works for you. Go on adventures. Read books. Educate yourself. Be active. Get a hobby. Don’t think about homework and deadlines and grades for one year. Spend time with friends. Spend time with yourself.

3. Earn that money girl, make it rain.

The one thing I wish I had done while on my very first gap year was save money. Work your ass off in a job (or two) that pays well and save most of it. If you spend your gap year working and have nothing to show for it, it was pretty much a waste of time. You could have spent your gap year doing more productive and enjoyable things than working in a cafe.

4. Right now, is the best time to travel.

When else are you going to be young with no partner, no kids, no full-time job, no mortgage, no bills and no responsibilities? Probably never. So, save your hard-earned cash and go experience the big wide world for a few months. You won’t regret it.

5. Do your own research. Become your own person. Unlearn the myths we are taught at school.

Let me tell you a little secret they won’t tell you in high school, you don't have to go to university straight after high school. Don’t choose an Arts degree just because you don't want to commit to anything else and “it’s a broad degree”. It’s definitely not the most sought-after degree in the workforce and it still doesn’t solve the fact that you don’t know what you want to study. Oh, and by the way, your high school really wants you to go to university straight after school because they get ranked based on how many students get accepted. Take your time to build your own personality and make your own life decisions. You’ve been told how to live for the past eighteen years.   

6. Build your resume.

The one thing a lot of university students entering the workforce after university don’t have is work experience. I suggest getting two different casual jobs and working your butt off. Your resume and your bank account will thank you for it at the end of the year.

7. Get some work ethic. Build life skills outside of the classroom.

Unfortunately, there are no classes that teach you how to do your tax’s, or how to ace a job interview, be a good employee, create a budget, or how to make new friends. In fact, all of the soft skills you will need to succeed at every single job you have, aren’t taught at school. So, get out there and build the most important skills you will ever need, life skills.

8. Push yourself out of your comfort zone.

The comfort zone is a beautiful place, but nothing ever grows there.

9. Reflect.

What do you want your life to look like every day? Where do you want to live? What do you want your house to look like? Who do you want to be? Who do you want to be surrounded by? What do you want to create?

10. Grow.

The one thing I can guarantee is that you will not be the same person after your gap year/s. It’s easy to get lost in the education system and hide from the reality of the world. Taking a gap year should throw you out into the trials and the triumphs of life. It should give you time to listen to yourself rather than parents and teachers. It should provide you with new experiences that allow you to grow. If you make the most of your gap year, it will be the best thing you’ve ever done for yourself and your career.

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