GAP YEAR (GÆP JɪR)
noun
- An amazing way to win your own life.
- The period of time – usually before, during or after college – during which a person travels around the world learns languages, works, volunteers or does an internship.
A gap year is an inexhaustible gift that makes you a better person. Here are 10 reasons why you should choose it.
1. Improve your study results
We are not listing the most important to the least important reasons, but this one makes him the favorite. Gap year can positively influence your academic performance. More than one would think that traveling around the world would affect the academic backlog, which could not be further from the truth. Students who decided to take a one-year break from studying improved their grades. Distance, finding your own professional path and returning to school with a fresh mind and full motivation can work wonders.
2. Achieve language proficiency
Knowing a foreign language is one of the most valuable skills. It is a source of superpower that will increase your mental potential, increase your employability, and improve your self-confidence. Sure, you can just learn a language at school, but why not live a language? Immersing yourself in a new culture and speaking a foreign language 24/7 talking to locals and traveling around the world is a surefire way to become fluent and benefit from all the good things that bilingualism and studying abroad bring.
3. Increase professional satisfaction
Students who have chosen the gap year represent a higher level of professional satisfaction. This may not be a priority when you start your studies, but it is definitely worth taking into account. Once you start working, this is where you’ll spend most of your time, so a job you like – even on Mondays – will make your life more meaningful. The time you spend looking for a profession that will suit your skills, passions and talents is priceless. Adding education and experience to it will make a significant difference in your life.
4. Become a world citizen
We live in a global village and the chances of you working with people from different countries are good. Knowing that things are different in different cultures is an incredibly important skill when you discover new places. A year abroad will help you understand how much different we are and how similar we are. It will make you more aware of your origin and give you a new perspective on culture, languages and people. Students who opt for a gap year understand what it means to be a global citizen and know how to benefit from it.
5. Become more financially aware
And this will convince your employers and parents: financial awareness. Guess what will teach you this skill? Of course – gap year . When you need to plan your semi-annual budget traveling around the world, you will have no choice but to become an expert in saving and planning expenses. Knowing how to deal with your own budget will make entering adulthood much easier. You will feel satisfaction in mastering it as you explore the world.
6. Develop incredible soft skills
Intercultural communication, problem-solving and adaptability – a year spent abroad will make you master and perfect these nice-sounding soft skills. Emotional intelligence positively influences employment opportunities. This looks good on your CV, so the more soft skills you have, the more you stand out. A gap year will give you the (international) life experience you need when you enroll in college or apply for a job right after graduation.
7. Increase job opportunities
Some people worry that a hole in their CV will reduce their employability. With all due respect, nothing could be more wrong my dear. It all depends on how you use this time. Twelve months of volunteering in the USA, internship in Barcelona, fluency in English and Spanish, and practicing soft skills will make your CV stand out and break the ice during the interview you will go through.
8. Avoid burnout
Depending on your age, you have been going to school for as long as you can remember. Time for a break: Burnout is real, students are under enormous pressure to choose a profession and perform well in school and in life. Many universities are aware of the problem and encourage students to calmly think about what they really want to do in life, which skills will help them at school and at work, and finally to get some distance from themselves without the pressure of time or grades. And this is just the beginning of the good news: 90% of students return to college with more motivation and enthusiasm.
9. Discover and find your place
Deciding on a course of study, the profession you want to pursue and entering adulthood at the age of twenty (or even thirty) can be difficult when everything around you is changing at an extremely fast pace. This is a time when you have to make decisions that will make a big difference in your life. Thinking about what will make you happy for the next 10 or 20 years can change your life. A gap year is a time to try new possibilities that will help you see what you want to do (and what not) in your life. If only you don’t spend it pointlessly, of course. Think about what you need to distance yourself from.
10. Experience the best period of your life
Let’s hope you will travel, discover, experience adventures, because a one-year break is an amazing chance to learn something about yourself and the world, becoming a self-confident superhero who wins in life. This is the time when you create amazing memories, extraordinary things happen, and interesting people from all over the world appear on your way. Remember to enjoy every second of your life – that’s what gap year was made for.
