The struggle of finding a career to settle down with, area of study, or degree that fits you is a struggle of not just your future, but also of determining who you are right now. It’s a struggle that most people reading this article can nod along with and claim, “Yeah, I know,” with wholehearted understanding.
I always had this dream in mind of the perfect job of being a psychiatrist, but until the past few years of growing and puberty-induced realization, I didn’t realize how much of a pipe-dream it was. I fit the mold of other jobs much better. But as an average teen, I struggle with identifying the perfect one.
For many college bound students, the notion of taking a Gap Year rings with the sound of an excuse to party and slack off instead of putting your nose to the grindstone. But with the conundrum of my path along the Yellow Brick Road crumbling without direction, maybe a Gap Year could be just the solution I was looking for.
Many students blow money in college on classes that do nothing but convince them to change their idea for what they’ll do for the rest of their lives. With that in mind, taking a year to explore many different options sounds like the smarter and more economically wise choice.
Maybe I could participate in internships, take some online courses, or delve into the world of work to help decide what I want to do with my life. Until I figure it out, maybe I could use some of my Gap Year to travel a bit, or do the things I always wanted to do before I commit to the real world.
I know it may sound like avoiding responsibility, but wouldn’t you love one year, before worrying about the important things, to see what you can of the world, what it has to offer you, and discover yourself before discovering the inside of the textbooks?
Maybe the use of a Gap Year could be used to plant yourself and become confident that you can make it on your own before adding on the stress of college. Learning exactly what it takes to support yourself and pay all of your bills independent of your parents is an important period we all have to go through, and doing it minus the stress of term papers and studying would be a great relief.
When students are going through the heartache of choosing colleges, applying for scholarships, and pulling up their GPA to meet the Ivy League standards, I think they should consider the option of taking a Gap Year.
Take some time to figure yourself out before you have to make a huge decision in your degree of choice. Why would you pick out a life and career for a person you don’t know?
