If there’s one thing that many adults wish they had told their younger self, the most common one would be to take time to enjoy their youth and broaden their experiences. For a lot of people, that means taking a gap year before university. So many people are focused on getting into the rat race as quickly as possible, they may not even realise the opportunities that they miss. If you’re looking at the possibility of going to university, here are a few reasons to take a gap year.
More time to decide what you want to do
If you’re still making a decision on what type of career that you want, then making a choice about which course is going to dominate your time in university can be very daunting indeed. The single best aspect of the gap year is that it gives you some time and space to think.
See the world and broaden your horizons
One of the biggest reasons that students will take a gap year is that they have the opportunity to see the world and travel a little. Whether it’s backpacking with a group or organising a trip with a student travel company, you shouldn’t underestimate the value of getting a little travel under your belt. Aside from becoming more independent and more confident, it allows you to broaden your horizons, to see life from different perspectives and simply enjoy some time with little to no responsibilities. You may not have the opportunity to travel quite as freely ever again.
Get experience in volunteering
Whether you’re doing it abroad or at home, you will have the opportunity to volunteer with nonprofits for all kinds of causes. Picking a cause that aligns with your interests can help you be passionate in your work and, needless to say, volunteering is work, so you will get work experience. It can help you develop your professional skills, to feel what it’s like working as part of a team or larger organization, and it looks very good on a resume, as well. Of course, that’s aside from the fact that you can do some good for your environment, the people around you, or the world.
Make some money in time for uni
While a lot of students on gap year do go volunteering, that doesn’t mean that all of your work has to be free. If you don’t want to live up to the stereotype of the broke student, then why not take the time to make a little extra money? Taking a part-time job through the year while still living with your parents could help give you the opportunity to build up your savings and live a little more independently while you’re at uni, while also building up some work experience.
Unless you 100% know what you want to do and you are committed to taking that path, it may be more worth taking a gap year than jumping into further education right away. Hopefully, the reasons above have convinced you of that.
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