Mind the Gap…Year!
Lois | Oct 13, 2010 | Comments 1
As Maggie Dent says in her recent excellent newsletter, Gap Year is starting to catch on in Australia. I’m a big fan of The Gap, as a career counsellor, parent and human being. Traditionally, it is a year off between high school and starting uni or work. It is a terrific opportunity to get to know yourself better, and the world around you.
When I was a young thing I only had a Gap week (after exams I headed off with my boyfriend to Bali). At the ripe old age of 39 I finally had a Gap of 7 months, travelling with my family overseas. A brilliant experience and one that our daughter (who turned 10 along the way, in Paris) will never forget but may well repeat herself when she leaves school.
Choosing a satisfying career involves knowing yourself first – then discovering what is “out there”. What better way than moving out of your comfort zone and seeing and experiencing how other people live and work.
Gap Year – it gets my vote, at any age.
Lois Keay-Smith, Career Consultant
Filed Under: Uncategorized
Yes, gap year certainly gets my vote too!
I shudder to think about where I’d be now if I hadn’t taken a gap year. After 12 years of school, it was refreshing to have the space to explore what I really wanted to do – which meant that when I hit university, I was choosing units and approaching subjects with drive and purpose.
I’ve lectured at three universities, and too often I’ve seen first year students enrol in degrees because it was what their parents suggested, or it was what their friends were doing. And many of these students find that they don’t enjoy their study – an indeed, they are at a much higher risk of failing or dropping out… which is expensive (in both money and time!).
A proactive gap year is an excellent investment at any time.