When I graduate from Vassar next May, I will be taking a gap year before I apply to postgraduate programs. While I am still figuring out what I will be doing during that gap year, I find myself thinking about what I want to get out of the time and whether it was a good idea or not. There are many factors that determine whether a gap year is worthwhile, but overall, gap years are a beneficial opportunity that more people should take advantage of.
Societally, there is undoubtedly a stigma surrounding gap years. There is often the perception that if one takes a gap year, they may find it more difficult to get back into school once they are finished with their gap year. According to Gap Year Association, about 90 percent of students who choose to take a gap year return to school when they are done. This means that around 10 percent of people slip through the cracks and either take a longer time to return to school or never return at all. Our society places high value on traditional education, and the fear surrounding not returning to school after a gap year is rooted in the perception that a traditional educational pathway is the be-all and end-all of a young person’s life. However, this logic and point of view are deeply flawed. A gap year, for many people, can be a time to step away from traditional schoolwork and reflect on what they might want to get out of their education. For some people, this might culminate in a decision to not attend college or postgraduate programs, and that is perfectly fine.
However, formal education is not the only way of learning out there, nor is it inclusive– our education system is not built for everyone. The way it is structured is often exclusionary to people who might have styles of learning that differ from our current pedagogical standards, and for those people, school can be a burden. Some people may choose to engage in different forms of education, such as trade school or community college, while others may decide that school is not for them at all. A gap year can actually provide time for people to reflect on whether a traditional education can serve them well. This will then allow them to pursue a field of study or endeavor that they are truly passionate about and are happy doing, instead of just throwing themselves at traditional education because it is the societal norm. Thus, gap years provide a much-needed opportunity for young people, rather than increasing the chances that they do not return to school.
Another potential drawback to a gap year is that it delays your future career, which reduces your overall career earnings. Per the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the more years of traditional education someone acquires, the more they will earn. This is an extremely money-driven view of life that fails to take into account the other parts of being human. Many people use their gap years to travel or explore new hobbies, which can increase their knowledge about the world in ways that they traditionally do not experience in formal education. Personally, I am looking forward to having time off to explore my arts and crafts hobbies, many of which I do not have time for during the school year, and which I certainly will not have time for in my postgraduate career. While these hobbies likely will not help me earn money, they will teach me new skills and allow me to use my creativity and brain power in a way that traditional education does not. My point in talking about travel and hobbies is not to say that money should not be considered during gap year decisions, because it is often a financial decision. I only wish to challenge our often extremely money-centric way of thinking, and to think about the benefits of gap years more broadly. At the same time, it is also important to consider that sometimes gap years are needed financially. Some graduate programs, like master’s degrees, cost money, and for some people, gap years can be a way to work and make money to pay for the cost of attending these programs. While I am excited for my arts and crafts during my gap year, I will be working a traditional nine-to-five job, which will help me save for the cost of living during graduate school. Living is much more expensive now than it was during the time of our parents, according to CNBC. It is no longer as easy to go to graduate school as it was when our parents did, and taking a gap year to prepare for this financial reality is also a logical choice.
Finally, a gap year can be used to improve professional skills. While some people may have the perception that a gap year is just a year to slack off and waste time, for many people it is a formative period for building both professional and social skills. For graduate programs that can be more difficult to get into, such as medical school or competitive Ph.D. programs, the gap year can be used to gain more experience, which will help build one’s resume and gain admission, whether this is through lab research, medical work, volunteering or working a standard entry-level job. Working in these positions for a year or two after graduation not only builds your resume and your skills for graduate programs, but it also helps you ensure that you are satisfied with your future career choice. Soft skills like communication and interpersonal skills can also be improved during this time, which is especially important for future careers which involve communicating with laypeople and the public, and these can be built through interactions with people during jobs in gap years. Thus, gap years are not a time of relaxation and no work, but are more likely to include some of the most important non-academic experiences of a young person’s life.
Gap years carry a certain stigma. Taking one or even two is often portrayed as a lazy, irresponsible decision by someone who is uncertain about their future. However, the reality is that gap years are often necessary for young people to reflect on their life and career, to take time off to learn and do new things, and to develop important skills needed for the rest of their lives. If more people took gap years, perhaps we would have a professional workforce that was more satisfied, competent and happy in their life decisions.