I am currently a sophomore in college, so I’m starting to consider what I want to do after I graduate. As of right now, law school is most likely where I will end up post-graduation and I’m very excited! Many people who consider attending more school after college take a gap year to catch up on life. I, however, am not like those people—because I have no self-control whatsoever. I know if I don’t just continue on to law school immediately, I’ll never do it. So, to live vicariously through a listicle on Her Campus, here are the 5 things that I would do if I took a gap year:
- Travel
-
I have always wanted to go to Thailand and Nigeria and I feel as if a gap year used to travel through Asia and Africa would be iconic. I know this would be insanely expensive, but a girl can dream, right? Personally, I wouldn’t want to go alone—I’d want to have at least two friends (or family members) with me in each country so I could have someone to share the memories with. I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, but after being stuck in one place for four years, I would want to see everything the world has to offer!
- Work for a Non-Profit Somewhere
-
It sounds slightly cringey, but I consider the entire world my community. We are all people who share a home and I believe that we should treat each other as such. While there are plenty of people in the US that I could help, I would like to live somewhere on a different continent. I would want to live among the people and help the community in any way I can. Whether it be teaching English, cleaning lakes or rivers or bringing water and electricity to rural communities. I just want to have the opportunity to give back and help those who are not able to help themselves.
- Learn to Cook
-
Unfortunately, I can burn water. To be a healthy, functioning adult you should be able to cook for yourself. I would use my gap year to learn to cook all cuisines. I would want to be able to cook Jamaican chile, Indian curry, Peruvian ceviche, Nigerian Jollof and more! Not only would I learn how to cook delicious foods, but I would have the opportunity to expose myself to a slew of cultures.
- Get My Real Estate License
-
Investing in real estate has been a recent dream of mine. The ability to earn income on a purchase you made is crazy to me. I want to get my real estate license and work as a realtor. Not only could this help me earn money for law school, but I could start buying and selling homes in the future.
- Take A Nap
-
This last item on the list is not the most glamorous, but it’s the most real. I am tired, and you are probably tired as well. The moral of the story is: we are all tired. The past 15 years of my life have been spent in school, and I think an opportunity to just do nothing would be amazing. I might not sleep for a full year, but I would make up on time that I lost with family and friends. I have a six-year-old brother, who apparently still grows even though I am away. I would want to spend a year bringing him to school, picking him up, making his lunches and helping him with his homework. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to go to college, and while you do gain a lot, we miss out on a lot as well.
If I took a gap year, I would enjoy the peace and serenity that life has to offer. I wouldn’t want to worry about upcoming assignments or finding a job, I would simply live life.