Are gap years worth it? Why taking a break before university or college is a great idea
There’s more to life than just education and employment – think about taking some time out to find out who you are
Intent on attending a top school, Sara Collins, 18, an exchange student from London, described her final year at a boarding school in New England in the US as a self-imposed regime that didn’t allow for anything but studying. But when the news came that she’d been rejected by her first-choice university, she cried.
“I just didn’t understand; I thought I did all the right things – going to events and playing in the school band way longer than I wanted to.”
Looking back, she admits her efforts were excessive, but when the bad news came, she became even more determined.
“Rejection means re-evaluation time, right?” Sara said. “I thought it was time to reboot, work even harder, and try again.”
Enter the gap year.
A rite-of-passage-like break from school during when young people can enter adulthood in a mindful and supported manner, gap years can provide students with the time and space needed to explore, experiment, and reflect on who they are and who they want to become.