Should You Take A Gap Year?

What career interests me? Should I go to college or university? Do I want to travel? Should I work to save money? There are so many questions to ask yourself once you near the end of high school. Your parents will probably have input on which path to take, but at the end of the day... you have to make the decision. Sometimes taking a gap year is the best for one person, but not for another. This post will dive into my reasons as to why you should consider taking a gap year and why you should not. Thanks for visiting my blog!

Photo: My high school graduation in The Orpheum in Vancouver, British Columbia

Before I explain why I believe a person should take a gap year, I want to mention what a gap year is. A gap year refers to spending a year after high school graduation not attending classes. Some individuals take a gap year, or even extend that to two years. I believe that you SHOULD consider taking a gap year if:

- You want to work full-time to save up for school

- There are no schools close to where you live & you are not ready to move out of your home

- The schools that are close to you do not offer programs you want to take

- You are in a specific family situation or crisis in which taking a gap year is the most appropriate for you

Tuition is expensive and adds up year after year. If you are considering taking a gap year to save up money to pay for tuition, I completely understand. Tackling debt, even just a little bit... can help. I was fortunate enough to have a lot of colleges and universities near my hometown, however I chose to move away from home. I felt ready to move out and gain independence and it is something I do not regret. Not every high school graduate will feel ready to move out immediately, so this can play a big factor if there are no schools in your hometown. Everyone's preferences are different, therefore you may have to consider other factors asides from what I have listed above. One thing I want to draw attention to is that I have noticed people who take a gap year, typically extend that year to two or even three years. If you prolong returning to school, it will make it that much bigger of an adjustment.

Below are my reasons as to why you SHOULD NOT take a gap year:

- Even if you do not know what you want to study, taking classes will help you discover it

- Avoids prolonging the years it takes to get a degree

- The transition to post-secondary will not be as challenging, because you are fresh out of high school

- In the future, most jobs will require at least a degree

I started university in a journalism program, not marketing. During my introduction to marketing class, that is when I realized I wanted to pursue a career in marketing. This is why I believe if you do not know what you want to study or pursue a career in, taking classes will help! Obtaining a degree takes roughly four years, however a lot can change in-between. As a result, it can take four and a half or even five years to graduate with a degree. It is as simple as it sounds... start now to finish sooner!

Entering university fresh out of high school was beneficial for me, because I still had my studying and homework habits. I knew how to study and to keep track of assignments and projects. Not everyone will believe me when I say that most jobs in the future will require at least a degree, however it is a trend I have noticed and strongly believe in. I want to land a senior management role in marketing in the future, which is why I am pursing more than just a degree. There are hundreds of thousands of students graduating with degrees in Canada each year, which means having a degree requirement could turn into a norm.

That concludes this post! I hope my information helps you decide if you should take a gap year or not. Thanks again for visiting my blog!

#gapyear #university #college