Taking A Year Off After College

Students who have not yet firmed up their after-school plans may begin to feel a sense of panic. Many of these students thought that by the time they were in their senior year of high school or college, they would have a clear idea of what they wanted to do after graduation. Their panic really sets in when they find that many of their peers know exactly what they’ll be doing after graduation, which can make the undecided student feel overwhelmed and as if there’s something wrong since they have not yet come close to making a career decision.

Should You Take a Gap Year After College?

Gap year pros and cons for students graduating from college

The years after college can be an uncertain time. You just spent the past 16 or so years with the structure of formal education to guide you. Now, however, that structure has suddenly disappeared, and it’s easy to feel directionless.

To cope with this uncertainty, many students pursue further education in the form of graduate school, law school, or medical school. Properly chosen and applied, this further education can pay huge dividends down the road.

Increasingly, however, many students are choosing to take a gap year between college and further education. This approach has many benefits, both academic and personal, though it also has its potential drawbacks.

If you’re considering a gap year but aren’t sure if it’s the right move academically or professionally, then this guide is for you. Below, we’ll take a look at the pros and cons of gap years so that you can decide if taking one is best for your situation.

What Is a Gap Year?

Gap years are becoming common enough that they don’t need a ton of explanation. But still, taking a gap year after college is somewhat of a novel concept, especially compared to a gap year after high school.

So what does a typical post-college gap year look like? There are no set rules, but a typical gap year is a planned break or “gap” between college and whatever comes next. During this time, a student will pursue activities to improve themselves academically, professionally, or personally (often all 3).

We should also note that while a year is the most common period of time, a gap “year” could also last a few years. The amount of time will depend on your goals, as well as your financial means for supporting yourself during the gap.

So what benefits do gap years offer? Let’s take a look.

5 Benefits of Taking a Gap Year After College

Many people view gap years as a “waste of time.” Why take off a year before pursuing further education? Isn’t it better to jump straight into more school rather than “fooling around” for a year?

Without proper planning, a gap year can very well turn into unproductive “fooling around.” But a well-executed gap year offers many benefits. Here are a few to consider:

1. A Break from Academia

If you’ve just spent the last four years excelling in college academics and extracurriculars, you’re likely exhausted. At this point, the prospect of spending another 2-8 years in school can feel overwhelming.

Rather than squashing these feelings and risking burnout, a gap year offers the chance to step away from the chaos and enjoy a different pace of life. This doesn’t mean sitting on the couch watching TV, but it could mean traveling, doing an internship, or even taking some classes while working a part-time job.

And once you’ve taken this break, you can return to your academic pursuits with a renewed energy and excitement, boosting both your performance and your mental health.

2. Time to Work on Grad School Applications

Applying to medical school, law school, or graduate school can feel like a full-time job in itself (and often requires as many hours). Attempting to do these applications while taking a full college course load can be a recipe for intense stress and lower application quality.

Therefore, a gap year can offer a valuable opportunity to focus your full attention on school applications. Not only do you have fewer demands on your attention, but you also have the time to reflect on your college experience and use it to craft the personal statements and application materials you need.

3. A Chance to Gain Real-World Experience

If you have the academic credentials to be a competitive med school, law school, or grad school applicant, then it’s possible that you neglected real-world experience while you were in college. This is understandable—getting top grades requires hard work and time!

But a lack of real-world experience can create problems for you down the line. Top schools want to see that you didn’t just study material in a classroom. They also want to see that you applied this material in the real world.

So if you’re lacking in hands-on experience, you can use your gap year to get some. Classic examples include shadowing a physician, working as a medical scribe, or volunteering at a law firm.

If possible, choose an experience that complements your classroom experience. For instance, if you did undergraduate research on cancer cells, you could spend your gap year before medical school assisting in an oncology lab.

4. Time to Boost Academic Credentials

While most students are likely to be lacking in experience rather than credentials, it’s possible that you don’t have all the coursework necessary to apply to your preferred academic program. If this is the case, then your gap year is a chance to get the credentials you need. For instance, if you didn’t major in a science field but are interested in medical school, you could use your gap year to do a post-bacc and get the necessary science coursework.

In a similar vein, you can spend your gap year preparing for and taking any standardized tests you’ll need for admission into your program of choice. Whether it’s boosting your MCAT score, retaking the GRE, or improving your LSAT score, the extra time you have during your gap year can help make sure you have your desired scores.

5. Opportunity to Travel

If you’re a highly motivated student, it’s possible you went through all of college without traveling. It can be challenging to fit in study abroad programs when you’re taking a demanding course load, and you likely spent your summers doing internships or additional coursework.

Therefore, a gap year offers a great chance to step out of the classroom (or country) and see some of the world. This doesn’t have to be a stereotypical backpacking trip through Europe, either. If you choose the right trip, you can gain additional experience that can look great to admissions committees.

For instance, you could volunteer in a clinic abroad or travel to a conference in a different country. Pulling off this sort of travel is both impressive and great material to use in your personal statement or other supplemental essays.

4 Drawbacks to Taking a Gap Year

Gap years have a lot of benefits, but there are potential drawbacks as well. This list isn’t to discourage you from taking a gap year. Rather, keep each of these things in mind when deciding if a gap year makes sense for your situation.

1. Decreased Academic Momentum

While many students benefit from a break between college and further education, it won’t work for everyone. While college can be intense, it also builds academic momentum that can propel you into additional schooling.

For some students, a break after college will destroy this momentum and make it more difficult to get back on track with the demanding coursework of law school, med school, or graduate school.

Of course, you can mitigate this risk by spending your gap year studying or reviewing material. But if you know you’re the sort of person who would be better just continuing with school, a gap year may not be right for you.

2. Can Look Bad to Future Schools

Let’s be clear: taking a gap year will not hurt your chances of getting into the program you want. Properly spent, a gap year can actually boost your admissions odds. But it’s key that you spend the gap year properly.

If you take a year off to do nothing, then it can give the wrong impression to admissions committees. They want to admit highly motivated students who spend their time doing interesting things. So only take a gap year if you know you’ll spend it on activities that will boost your admissions odds. Otherwise, it could be better to just continue with school.

3. Some Students May Find Lack of Structure Distressing

Most students will enjoy a break from the structure of academic life. But if you’ve never had that amount of free time, then it can be an adjustment. Some students find themselves unsure of how to spend their time when it’s not divided into predictable lectures, labs, and club meetings. This can lead to distress or even depression.

Therefore, it’s key to have a plan for how you’ll spend your gap year. This way, you can create structure for yourself and avoid the ennui that can come with an open schedule.

4. Gap Years Can Be Expensive

Before you take a gap year, you need to be clear about how you’ll pay for your expenses during it. Usually, this means getting a job or working out an agreement with your parents. But make sure you have a plan in place, or your gap year could end up costing you lots of money with little benefit.

In particular, watch out for formal “gap year” programs. While these can be worth the cost in some cases, you’re often better off finding your own opportunities. Not only will these be cheaper, but they won’t be the same thing that every other applicant is doing.

Finally, if you plan to spend your gap year taking classes (either through a post-bacc or another method), know the costs upfront. Scholarships are rarely available in such cases, so you’ll have to rely either on your own means, your family’s, or loans.

Should You Take a Gap Year?

When all is said and done, should you take a gap year? Ultimately, that’s a decision you’ll have to make for yourself, and it will depend on your situation.

In general, however, a gap year can be beneficial both for your current well-being and your future academic/career goals. Just be sure you plan what you’ll do during your gap year and know how you’ll pay for it.

With the right plan in place, your gap year can propel you into a successful future.

About Our Guest Contributor

Ransom Patterson is the editor-in-chief at College Info Geek, a site that helps students study more effectively, become more productive, and get great jobs after graduation. You can learn more about how College Info Geek helps students here .

Benefits of a Gap Year After College or High School

As graduation approaches, some students have not found a job or are not interested in immediately going to grad school. For them, taking a gap year when school ends might be a good option.

People are finding that a gap year affords them the time to spread their wings and find out what they really want to do with their future. In the past, it was believed that getting a job or going immediately on to graduate school were the only options. But with more choices available, taking a gap year after high school or college can be a worthwhile—and economical—experience.

Key Takeaways

• Taking a gap year may be the right choice for you if you’re still getting a feel for your long-term goals.
• During your gap year, you should try to do things that hone your interests and skills, including working part-time or volunteering.
• Don’t panic if you feel that you don’t have everything figured out when you’re preparing to walk the stage.

Who Should Consider Taking a Year Away From Studies

Of course, there are students who already know what they want to do and have known for quite a long period of time. Some students are so determined and aware of their future aspirations early on while others are still sorting things out throughout their high school, college years and beyond.

About one-fifth of students took a gap year in academic year 2020-2021, according to a survey by Foundry10.

The important thing is that everyone is different and some people may make their decisions early, while others take a little longer in the decision-making process.

How Taking a Gap Year May Help

A gap year experience can truly be a time to get to know yourself better. Trying new things and meeting new people can be an enlightening and positive experience. You can also take time to reflect on the personal strengths, interests, and skills that could lead to your first full-time job.

Note

Completing an internship, volunteer experience, or a job abroad can be an opportunity to learn more about the customs and way of life of people from other countries.

In this global marketplace, many businesses prefer applicants who have spent some time abroad. Living and working with individuals from around the world can be very helpful when working with a diverse group of people both inside and outside of an organization.

What to Do With the Time Away

For some students, a gap year means a time to unwind and relax. After spending the last four years completing challenging and rigorous courses in high school or college, a person needs some time to take a break and not worry about finding a job or adapting to the workforce.

These new graduates may decide to do some traveling, or they may just relax at home and take advantage of a free place to live. Since each individual is different, there is no right way to do it.

Note

Whatever you decide to do, you also remain engaged and do something that will further develop your skills and help you gain new knowledge.

For those unable to get a part or full-time job, doing volunteer work is a great option. Whether you volunteer in the states or abroad, volunteering helps develop leadership, teamwork, and the ability to work successfully with a diverse group of people.

Developing or improving on these valuable transferable skills will be seen as a positive by most employers. In comparison to someone who just decides to take a year off, a new graduate who makes the most of their gap year experience will be seen as a more motivated and resourceful individual as well as a positive addition to any employer who may decide to hire them.

There’s No Need to Panic About the Future

As some students approach graduation, they begin experiencing a sense of dread because they haven’t figured out what they want to do and their attempts at finding a job have not been successful.

Note

Although it may seem to them that everyone else has a job or knows the direction they want to take after college, the truth is that many new graduates are still in the exploration stage when it comes to committing to a full-time career for the future.

Students who have not yet firmed up their after-school plans may begin to feel a sense of panic. Many of these students thought that by the time they were in their senior year of high school or college, they would have a clear idea of what they wanted to do after graduation. Their panic really sets in when they find that many of their peers know exactly what they’ll be doing after graduation, which can make the undecided student feel overwhelmed and as if there’s something wrong since they have not yet come close to making a career decision.

During these stressful times, it is important to remember that sometimes the best decision to make is to avoid making one that might negatively impact your life later. For the same reason investors wait for the right opportunity, there is absolutely nothing wrong with exercising patience until you are able to make the right move.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How do I get into the job search after taking a year break from college?

During your gap year, you should have gotten a better sense of what direction to go with in your career. When looking for a job after that time away, a good first step is reaching out to connections you may have in your network that could provide help in the search or a letter of recommendation.