Recently a friend of mine posted this image on my Facebook timeline and I wanted to 'like' it a million times because I think this quote holds a great deal of truth. In in a previous blog post on my experience as an international student and advice to other international students, I stressed the importance of studying abroad. What's better than studying abroad than traveling on your own terms?
Even if you don't travel, one alternative route to life after graduation is taking a gap year. A gap year is basically sabbatical from structured life i.e school/work. Gap years are especially popular in the UK and Australia but... not so much in the US. I took time off after graduation to travel to Europe, California and a few other places. The four years I spent panicking by not knowing what I wanted to do after I graduated were in vain because everything was revealed in due time during my gap 5 months. Of course with most decisions they're pros and cons; I outlined some below.
Advantages to taking time off after graduation:
- The chance to volunteer
- Unlimited time to travel
- Take part in activities to learn more about yourself
- Time to figure out what you want to do for approx. the next 5 years +
- Missed opportunities for internships/jobs
- Missed on-campus recruiting
- Potentially be set back behind peers
Whether you take time off to teach, volunteer, travel, self-study or take part in a cultural exchange program, be sure to make your experience meaningful. Keep a journal and make every moment count.
What are your thoughts on taking a gap year?
Sound off below.
No comments:
Post a Comment