For most students, it’s completely normal to get through high school, undergraduate school, and graduate school all in one run. Taking a gap semester (or year) isn’t the typical thing to do. However, there are a bunch of reasons why you should consider taking some time off school!
Give your brain some rest.
After finally getting your bachelor’s degree, you’ll definitely feel like you need to keep the grind going in order to get your next degree and jump into the career world. However, just think about this: You just finished 4 years of college. Do you really want to jump into another 1-5 years of education without letting your body and mind take a breather? You deserve a small break.
You’re not taking a whole year off of school!
Some people (like me) are hesitant to take an entire gap year because, well, it’s just such a long time to be away from school. If you take an entire year off of school, you might forget some important things. However, limiting yourself to a single semester off gives you just enough time to do your thing and retain what you learned in school as well.
Pausing your education for a few months will not put you back in the “real world” in any way!
Most students who decide to take a gap semester still apply for graduate school the same time as students who don’t take a gap semester. The only difference is that they either apply for the January class of the following year (if it’s an option), or they apply for the Fall class and fill out a deferral form after acceptance. if you’re worried about getting into grad school, you’ll already know whether you got into a school by the time you decide if you want to take a gap semester.
M-O-N-E-Y
Have you ever thought about all the money you can make if you take a few months off of school? If you pick up a cashier job at a retail store for 30 hours a week at $11.00 an hour, you’d make $1,320.00 a month (before taxes). A semester of this would add up to about roughly $4,000.00 in your bank account.
Along with job experience, you’ll learn some pretty useful skills.
Working part-time or full-time will allow you to adjust to a completely different environment. Constantly interacting with different types of people will give you a chance to engage in new endeavors, whether they are joyful or stressful. You’ll create new formal and informal connections. For example, a boss might write you a recommendation letter for something else, promote you, or give you a raise. You’ll also most likely form new, unforgettable friendships with coworkers, and bond over gossip about customers. Social skills are also something very important in any field you go into, and having a job anywhere will give you enough experience to prepare you mentally for graduate school, your career, and, well, life in general!
These are my reasons for (most likely) choosing to take a gap semester after I graduate from college! I’ve always been the type of student who just wants to get through everything. I earned my AA in Liberal Arts when I was 17, and I’m earning my BS in Biology at age 20. I do admit that I rushed through a lot of things, but I now see the advantages of taking some time off of school. If I take a gap semester and start medical school in January 2019, I’d still graduate as a doctor when I’m 25. I think that’s still pretty awesome, and, like I said before, I’ll get to breathe for a bit before jumping back into (a more intense) school, I’ll earn some money, and I’ll learn new skills. Most importantly, I’ll be happy and comfortable.