Why You Will Regret It If You Don’t Take A Gap Year

Why You Will Regret Not Taking A Gap Year | THE DAILY HAPPINESS

Now, taking a gap year is not really a topic which a 23-year-old student is going through anymore because, at this time of your life, you are probably chasing your dreams and trying to build your career. Most of the time, the gap year is between high school graduation and university days. However, I decided to still talk about this because I know many people who regret that they didn’t take a year out.

Furthermore, I just had an interesting conversation with my beloved little cousin, who will graduate from high school in 2 1/2 years. Even though there was still time for him, I just asked him if he wanted to take a year off as I did, and he answered that his parents wouldn’t want that. Right then, after hearing this, I got a flashback to my time after high school graduation. I remember precisely that doing a gap year was a massive thing in my family. My parents weren’t so happy about it either. Nevertheless, I’m so glad that I still could do my gap year because it is, until now, one of my favourite times and memories! Hence, here are the reasons why you should do a gap year as well and why you will regret it if you don’t take one!

CHANCE TO SLOW DOWN

Nowadays, society expects us to graduate so quickly, then go straight to uni, and graduate there even faster with their shortened studies time, so you have to study more in one semester to graduate even earlier! It is all about the faster, the higher, the better!

A hilarious professor of mine once said that he sometimes feels he is teaching children because some students are still so young when they start studying. The problem with this is that many pupils do not even know what they want to do with their lives. Also, school does not teach you the crucial things in life. They just teach you the fundamentals, which of course, you do need, but there is so much to learn outside of the school walls.

Due to that reason, there are plenty of students who are breaking up with their studies, or they are swapping into new majors several times. A gap year allows you to slow down in life and figure out what you want to do.

CHANCE TO FIND OUT WHAT YOU WANT

If you take a year off, you can grow through so many variable experiences that year, and there are many ways to create that particular time. Doing an internship, work and travel, charity work like building a school or teaching your mother tongue language (I would love to do this charity work once in my lifetime!), or like I did: a language school abroad. Please just don’t be lazy and do nothing or go on holiday. You will not know how to explain later in an interview what you did and gained from experiences throughout that year!

If you are moving abroad, you must learn to adapt because there will be nothing like at home. Besides, having more time to find out what you really want in life, your personality and social skills will also increase. Moreover, you will become more flexible, because you must learn how to live by yourself and integrate into a new society, a new language and maybe even a new culture. Hence, everyone should really move away at least once in their life!

Many pupils are afraid that they have a gap in their resumes. Still, they forget that moving abroad will teach them valuable international experiences. No one will resent you because of that gap when you can do business with customers from different cultures because you have already experienced these different cultures.

CHANCE TO IMPROVE YOURSELF

While still in school, by any chance, have you been “sleeping” through every English class like me? (I was sitting in the front row, so there was no chance of sleeping in class, but my English was really bad back then.) You maybe want to know more about history or art? If you are curious about history, do a tour through several countries if you want to learn more about the old times. When it is a language, head over to that country to improve your language skills. Which is the reason why I did my gap year in London! A gap year is your time to refine those specific skills you feel you lack.

Along with those aspects, the most valuable experience through your gap year is the friendships you make. Their unique perspectives on life will hugely enrich yours as you compare all the significant events in your teenage years, the early 20s and beyond! I recently just met one of my good friends from Argentina, who I have known through my London time. It has been four years now, and I was reminded how much those international friendships mean to me.

Besides these reasons, when else will you be a teenager with no job, mortgage, payments, kids, or responsibilities to worry about? Never. Like, really, NEVER! So take the chance, do yourself a favour, take that gap year and have the time of your life!

In case you missed out on your gap year, already studying and still want to go abroad? How about going to study overseas, then? Here are 10 reasons to study abroad! Also, if you want to visualise what doing a gap year or studying abroad looks like, feel free to check out our Reels or TikToks.