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Reasons Why You Should Take a Gap Year

Why a gap year is a good idea.

By Damien JustusPublished 4 years ago 3 min read
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Graduating from high school is an exciting time for all students. It’s a bridge to new beginnings and a path for new adventures. Most graduates will continue their education and attend college to help them get started with their careers. Some will go to one directly after high school, while others will wait some time before attending one. Here are six reasons that explain some of the reasons why it’s important to take a year off after high school.

Learn About Relationships

Family and friends are the most important people you will have in your life. Oftentimes throughout the different school years, you will be so busy that you aren’t able to spend a lot of quality time with them. If you decide to take a year off before going to college, it will give you a chance to strengthen and build your relationships. This also gives you a chance to make new friends. You could find and meet others who will be going to the same college as you, enabling you to have some connections once you’re there.

Travel to Places

Taking a year off gives you one of the best chances to travel. When you are not held to a school schedule, you have the opportunity to visit new places and see new things. Not everyone may be able to afford a pleasure trip, but there are some things that can help with this. There are volunteer groups you could join, as well as gap year adventure programs that have been created solely to help out people like you.

Work on Yourself

Having a long period of time off gives you time to see who you are and work on who you want to be. Your physical, mental, and emotional state may be out of control because of the craziness of life, but now is a good time to get things back on track. Starting good habits while you’re taking a break can help you maintain those things while in college and even once you’re done. Weekly or daily exercising, yoga, and mediation are just a few of the things that can help.

Recover From Burnout

The majority of your life up to this point has probably been spent in a classroom or fixed learning environment. You may not be aware of it, but there is a high chance that you have developed some burnout from this. It is not uncommon for most students to have it since they have been doing the same things year after year since they were little. Going to college without giving it your all is essentially wasting your time and money. When you give yourself some time off, it allows your brain to recoup and refresh itself before going back to classes.

Get to Work

If you are running low on funds, spending a year working can help you add to your bank account. There are some who love to work and will fill their time with multiple jobs or projects they wish to complete. For others, it may not be as easy or desirable to work as much, but it’s necessary if they want to keep going in life. Don’t waste your time not doing anything when there’s money that can be earned.

Think of Goals

Taking time to map out your life is one of the most important things you can do while taking time off. Set goals for certain accomplishments and things you wish to achieve and do with your life. Decide what you want to do and do your best to map out the career you wish to have. If you run through life without a plan, you’ll never make it to where you want to go. While you may not be able to set a certain timetable for some things like having a family or reaching the top of the business world, you can still set goals for the things you wish to achieve.

The Bottom Line

Graduating high school is one of the first major accomplishments in a young person’s life. Taking a year off after this achievement is a great way to jump-start your career and set your life in motion.

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