A gap year is often seen as an act of taking a break between two things, especially two major life stages, and it's worth noting that taking a gap year can be either good or bad; it all depends on the motive behind taking it, what is done in between, and the end results. Although if I were to take a side, I would say taking a gap year is great, but then, like, we all know each individual has their differences, and that's what brings out the varieties of results that come from indulging in such. So what then is my take on taking a gap year? Below you'll find out and also read extensively on all that surrounds it.
Even though I had to look through the meaning of the word gap year on the internet, I can't help but say after grasping what it means, it ends up being something I'm familiar with and even indulged in myself at some point in my life, and for me, I must say that both times I made the decision to take these steps, they were for a just cause, and in the end, both yielded a positive result. I'm sure you'd like to know about those two times I took a gap year and what played out thereafter; if so, think no further, because I'll talk about it below.
The first instance was after I graduated from secondary school, and the next line of action ought to be furthering my education at the university. Aside from the fact that I'm aware that this usually happens to most admission-seeking students in Nigeria, I also recognize the fact that I needed money for a lot of things that'll prepare me for the university and the lifestyle it demands. For instance, most of the clothes I have don't befit the campus trend, and neither do I have any skills that can sustain me beyond what I get from my parents, so I decided within myself that I want to learn a skill.
I told my dad the skill I want to learn, which was fashion designing, which he declined, but in the end I resorted to learning a skill in data processing, digital literacy, and the like. And so I began learning the skill for the next year. After concluding the training and still not having gained admission into the university, I decided to go in search of work that'll help me make money that I can use to get myself some necessities and also ease my parents the burden of struggling to pay every single bill I'll need while in school. I was working different jobs for the next two or so years when I was finally granted admission into a university, and that's how I brought the gap year to a close.
Taking that gap year was one of the best decisions I made then, because I acquired a skill that was instrumental in preparing me for the course I wanted to study at the university and also served as a source of income during my undergraduate days, especially when I helped other students with their projects and got paid for doing so. The money earned from where I worked was also used to get myself some new clothes and food and also pay my acceptance fee.
Given the word length of this write-up, I guess I'll stop with the first experience I had with taking a gap year. Overall, like I said earlier, taking a gap year and how we see it usually depends on the individual that's taking it, their reason for taking it, what they did after taking it, and the end results of the whole thing. For those who took out time to understand why it's necessary to take it and devoted their time to making those break periods worth it, in the end they'll be proud of themselves and have something to show for the break, be it I. Personal growth, acquiring new skills, or learning a new language; room for self-discovery or even just to rest.
In my opinion, before we take a gap year, we must make sure the purpose aligns with our dreams and still stick by it during every stage, because not doing so might go on to ruin the whole thing, and that's why some people might say taking a gap year is more like an act of laziness or just an avenue to procrastinate, but overall it's a good thing that can help us reach great milestones, such as my case of gaining career clarity, or others such as gaining real-world experience, academic goals, confidence, maturity, independence, or even refreshing ourselves mentally before furthering our studies.
All photos are mine.