When the announcement that all students should vacate the school premises until further notice was disclosed, it was as if I needed a break. This was during the breakout of COVID-19 in the year 2020, when all schools were closed and we were told to go home. I felt so excited because it was definitely one kind of break that would allow me to rest from the whole chaos of school stress.
University's stress can be a whole lot. As a Nigerian student, you would understand how these lecturers overwhelm you with a lot of activities, most of the time with a short time to submit. You'd be running around for lectures, no available halls, impromptu tests and when exams come, you'd think they needed supervisors for a higher rank if they catch anyone involved in examination malpractice.
Getting home that day, even though I brought home some of my course materials, I knew nothing would make me open them because at that point, nothing else mattered but to do something different from school. I wasn't even scared when we were told online lectures would continue because I knew there was nothing like that for me.
On days when lectures were fixed, especially on Telegram, that's an opportunity to give my aunt an excuse to attend class, whereas I am in bed sleeping for the duration or engaging in something else. God knows I didn't put in any effort on that because at the end of the day, it was wasteless. I channelled my time to be available on different writing platforms, which I hadn't had the chance to do while in school. The few months we spent at home made me achieve a lot.
Taking a gap year or period is very important. Thie is a time you take to rest your head, calm your mind from academics or work that keep taking a big toll on you. By the time you are back, you feel better than before and you are ready to go on a new journey. But also, taking a gap year doesn't mean one would not focus on something else, like something different from whatever took you away from it in the first place.
The body isn't a stone and our brains also need rest. A lot of people are going through a whole lot all because they need to survive, and before you know it, they break down with a series of health issues. A gap period may be for a few months just to rest while still engaging in something fun.
But we have some people who take a gap period for no reason, going on a different route to what they ought to do and in the end, they regret it, especially when they face the consequences of their actions. For example, an individual who finishes secondary school decides to take a break, perhaps for a year before moving ahead, tends to jump on an opportunity that takes his focus away from his main goal, and when his mates are graduating, he realises he had wasted a lot of time.
A real example here is when I graduated from the College of Education. I wanted a break, so I decided to take a teaching job. My siblings had talked to me about going back to school because once I start making money from my job, I would not be interested in going back to school. I made them understand that I needed a break but they said no. They believe doing things on time and early is better than taking a gap period.
I quite understand them, but most times, it depends on one's intention and the willpower to get back on track after taking some well-deserved rest. For me, I only worked for 3 years and a few months before going back to school. I was glad to do that, and here I am today.
Taking a gap period isn't a bad idea, but it becomes so when we don't have a well-defined goal and purpose for why we are taking such rest. Even during that period, we could still do something fun, different from what we used to do before, to gain more clarity elsewhere and know that it won't be a long one until you can return, but now, in a better state and perspective.
Image Source: Chatgpt
