Top Reasons to Take a Gap Year

Learn about yourself

Taking some time off before heading to college can help you develop and learn a lot about yourself. This is an amazing opportunity to figure out independent living, what your passions are, and what you want to do in the future. Gap years offer a chance to explore possibilities and gain life experience.

A gap year can also help students get necessary work experience, so they’re more prepared for college classes related to their career interests. How else will you know if you want to study engineering or math unless you try it first? A gap year is a wonderful way for students who aren’t sure of their career path — or who may be considering changing their major — to gather information that could impact their entire lives.

Discover what you want to do for a living

Volunteer. Volunteering can help you find a career path that is meaningful to you, as well as build your resume. There are numerous programs that offer this opportunity in exchange for room and board.

Intern. An internship can give you a realistic glimpse into the daily life of a job in which you have an interest, while also helping bolster your resume.

Talk to people who are doing what you want to do. One of the best ways to learn about potential careers is by speaking directly with others who are actually working in those fields. This can be accomplished through informational interviews or simply reaching out on social media. If someone seems particularly helpful or willing, don’t hesitate to ask them if they'd be interested in acting as a mentor during your gap year (or throughout college). Mentorship will not only provide guidance but may also open doors for various other opportunities during and after school!

Taking time off from school gives students the chance to gain some valuable experience in the real world before jumping head first into their major—which makes them more likely to succeed once they return for their degree

Learn a language

One of the key benefits to taking a gap year is that you can learn a new language. It is important to be bilingual or trilingual in today's world. Learning a new language will help you on your resume, as well as open up opportunities for better employment. You will also have the opportunity to make new friends, and communicate with people from all over the world!

There are many ways to learn a new language. If you want to learn at home, there are many websites that offer courses for free online. Most languages also make their own podcasts for free on SoundCloud which will help you practice speaking it by yourself. These sites/podcasts include: Duolingo and FrenchPod101 (for French), FluentU (for Chinese), and Lingoda (for German). If you want to travel abroad during your gap year, visiting an area where the population speaks the language of your choice is a great option as well!

See the world

Seeing the world is the best way to understand the billion different ways that life can work, and how much we have in common with people who live on the other side of the planet. You’ll learn about history, art, politics, languages and so much more. Many volunteers help out in community programs or teach English – giving back to a community while you travel is an amazing feeling! Plus there are endless opportunities for adventure sports like mountaineering, rafting, hiking or surfing. Visiting new places and seeing how others live will change your perspective forever – traveling helps you see exactly what’s important in life!

What can you do with a gap year? The answer is: just about anything! Working abroad looks great on a CV – employers love candidates who are open-minded, independent and adaptable. If you want to take your gap year as an opportunity to develop some skills that will make your CV stand out (like scuba diving certification) this is a great option too. And if you’re struggling to decide what career path to follow… then taking time out of education might be exactly what you need!

Become more independent

When you go off to college, you will be on your own for the first time. You may want to wait until you have a little more life experience before stepping into this new world. If so, taking a gap year could be an excellent choice for you.

During your time away from school, you will make decisions about what you want to do and how to do it. You will learn how to manage your budget and live with others. You may even learn how to solve some of life's problems on your own!

Boost your resume during college

It’s important to show that you have experience in the field you want to study. If you are applying to study Business Studies, getting a job in your local town in sales or retail could be fantastic on your resume.

What if you don’t know what career you want? Having a variety of interests and skills can be even better. Try working in different sectors and gain experience of life at work which will impress employers when they look at your CV.

Employers like to see that you are hard-working and motivated. If they need an extra pair of hands over a busy period, it is great to have someone who can throw themselves into the role regardless of how many hours there are left on the clock!

Maybe your gap year is about traveling through a country that speaks another language? This would demonstrate adaptability and responsibility as well as independence – all good qualities for those who get bored easily!

Make money

You may be thinking, “How will I fund this?” Fear not! There are plenty of ways to fund your gap year. Working abroad is a great way to make money and sometimes even have the costs of living covered. Be sure to research your potential job thoroughly, though; there are plenty of scams out there promising more than you’ll actually receive. The same goes for funding with grants; look carefully at the grant, who has provided it, and what exactly it offers before you accept an award. You can also work in the US and save up money over time instead of working abroad or trying to work while on your gap year.

Make sure you get enough life experience before entering college

If you have the chance to take a gap year, you should. Why? To learn more about your personal interests, to explore and experience life before you're tied down by college classes and midterms. There are so many opportunities out there, from internships and part-time jobs that can help you figure out what kind of career path is best for you, to volunteer programs that will help develop your self-awareness.

It's important to know yourself before college; not just take a year off. Life is too short to spend four years drowning in coursework without figuring out what it is you really want to do with it all!