GAP Year Opinions

[Geoo]

So i'm thinking of taking a gap year next year, and i'm quite on the fence about it. There is still plenty of time, so I may change my mind, but it's something i'm really starting to consider.

A little background on my reasoning: I have become quite burnt out after VCE, especially since i've done all of it online for the past 3 years, and with the covid situation, i'm not sure how that will continue to affect university going into next year. I also think I just need a break for me, mentally and physically, and have some time for myself before I put my head in the books again. I have thought about getting a job (although with the current market...), potentially doing a tafe certificate etc.

Since i'm a little on the edge ,I thought i'd ask for people's opinions who have done a GAP year to share there thoughts, or others who wished they had taken a gap year.

Some of the main prompt questions I have:
1) Was it worth it/ wished you did it?
2) Did you find it was harder to join back socially and study wise by taking the year off?
3) What was your GAP year like?
4) What was you reason for taking a gap year/ what would've been the reason?
5) If you didn't take a gap year but wished you did, why?
6) With the COVID situation, would it be wise to take a gap year?

If you have anything else to add that would be great, i'm really just trying to get a feel if it's something I should do.

[AngelWings]

Can't help so much here, but there's a few journals in the Accountability and Motivation board that documented people's gap year experiences. One of them is CaitlynK_22's one here, which might be worth your while to read.

[heids]

You might want to read my post about gap years from 2016.  (My timeline so far isn't quite what I expected in high school: I finished VCE in 2014, took a 2015 gap year, did one semester of uni in 2016, dropped out and have been working since, and am planning to return to uni in 2021...)

What was your GAP year like? I took TAFE certificates III/IV in aged care.  It didn't work out smoothly the way I intended: I originally started with an online provider who kinda fell through, so I was very frustrated that I 'wasted' several months.  My second provider was far better, and I got an aged care job in October that year which I continued through till I had a breakdown and dropped out of uni lol.  I was also involved in AN and tutoring. 

Was it worth it? Yes. I was 16 when I finished VCE, and had never had a job, so I needed that job to grow up a bit, get some experience, and save some money to get through uni.  It taught me a lot related to my degree (nursing) and offered me flexible, enjoyable shift work during uni.

I'd really recommend this approach if there are job-directed TAFE certificates available in the general area you're interested in getting a degree. You can get certificates in teaching assistance, allied health/dental assisting, business administration, fitness, bookkeeping, so many things.  They often let you enter low-skill jobs in that field.

This approach gives you the chance to test the waters of the field you're interested in.  Maybe it's not for you after all!  But if it works and you do start a relevant degree, you're ahead.  You get to work through uni in a job you're interested in rather than generic retail/hospitality, you might earn more, you gain more practical skills than your peers, you're immersed and learning in that environment, and you'll have a real headstart when getting employment after your degree.

Did you find it was harder to join back socially and study wise by taking the year off? Genuinely can't remember.  I'll let you know when I start again after a 5-year gap!

What was you reason for taking a gap year?  I wasn't entirely sure what I wanted to do and wanted to stall a bit, but knew I'd enjoy aged care.  I also wanted to buck expectations a bit.

With the COVID situation, would it be wise to take a gap year?  It depends what you're trying to do with it.  Travel is probably out the window.  Working could be hit or miss in this market depending on your experience - you might well be lucky, but you might find yourself kicking your heels without enough employment for more months than you'd like.  TAFE should be a pretty sure bet.  It will face all the same online challenges, but is less academically rigorous than school/uni, and might help with employment options over the next few years of tough job market.


But do remember: you will get a long several-month break before uni starts, and uni will only take up about half of the year every year.  While it usually does stop you getting full time work, you'll still get long breaks and the chance to work (or just sleep).