Some people believe that taking a break is an act of unseriousness, some even believe it is laziness but for me it is far from that, taking a gap year can help you think well, can make you reason the next step or what to do that would be profitable, this life is a step by step, it is better to rest when you need to.
I have an experience that nearly took my sanity away, after my NYSC program, I came back home feeling both relieved and confused. I was welcomed warmly, my brother was so happy to have me back. One evening, he told me something I didn’t expect. He said, “Just calm down first. Rest a little before you start stressing yourself about job hunting.
I nodded to what he said that evening but I wasn't buying the idea, though resting was a good idea but the eagerness to find a job was all over me as a fresh graduate, I was not ready to be called lazy or want anyone to judge me so I put myself together and drafted out a new CV that week then started writing applications and submitting my CVs to any job vacancies I saw online.
But if I won't deceive myself I wasn’t ready, I wasn’t ready to join the race, I know I needed time to think about the next step or what company I want to work with but I didn't think at all, I started filling any form, any position I saw all in the name that I do not want to sit at home for a month, I wasn’t prepared for job hunting that year but my stubbornness will not let me breath.
I’m someone who doesn’t enjoy facing crowds, and interviews were already something I feared. I know I should learn how to put my dear aside and look into my interviewer eyeball to eyeball but I didn't give myself time to prepare for that, I was pushing myself because I didn’t want to be idle or be labelled. That pressure pushed me into something I wasn’t prepared for.
Then one day, I got an invite for an interview in a company I had submitted my CV to. That was during the cashless wahala in Nigeria. Getting cash that time was like trying to win lottery. The interview was for 2 PM, and I left my house around 11 in the morning because it was far. I wore a fine black trouser and carried my documents. Inside the cab I entered, I noticed that the trouser had torn by the side, someone say on it and was pressed, I was so embarrassed but I acted normal. When I got to a junction, I needed to take an Uber because there was no cab going towards the company’s direction. I ordered the ride, and when we were about to reach, the man just said he doesn’t accept transfer, only cash. That was where problem started.
I begged him. I explained. I even showed him my account balance and the transfer app. He refused. He said he has been scammed before. We argued for long. The time we wasted there was the time I needed to get to the interview. I ended up missing it. I got home and just sat down quietly. I cried. I felt like everything I was trying to avoid just happened. My brother didn’t shout at me. He just looked at me and said, “You see why I said you should rest first? You need to calm down.”
After everything I experienced that week I then realized that I was never ready, I needed a break not because I was lazy or weak but I need to re-strategize, I need to know my worth and never to accept any job put of desperation, I needed to build my self esteem and figure out what I wanted. I stopped rushing just to prove something to people who weren’t even watching.
Taking a gap year doesn’t mean you’re not serious. It doesn’t mean you’re lazy, you are not pleasing anyone except yourself, you can decide on what to do. Sometimes,taking a gap year means you’re wise enough to slow down before running in the wrong direction. It takes strength to pause when everyone is moving. It takes courage to choose rest over noise.
Rest if you need to. Think deeply, breathe. You’re not weak. You’re not a failure. You’re simply human. And sometimes, even the strongest people need a break.
This is my response to this episode of hivelearners community prompt of #hl-w176e3 which the topic is tagged GAP YEAR
