When college begins, it feels like those four years are going to be forever – a never-ending period of friends, exciting opportunities and maybe a little bit of learning. But in all seriousness, it can go by in the blink of an eye and sometimes, you get to your last semester realizing that it wasn’t enough time to do all the things you were hoping to accomplish or that the next step is a little bit out of reach.
I am currently less than 3 months out from my graduation date and definitely feeling a range of emotions: excited, anxious, confused, lost, reflective, nostalgic, optimistic. I’m a pre-Physician Assistant student, so I made the decision to take a gap year to work as a medical assistant to obtain clinical experience and hours during my sophomore year but now as I get closer to graduating, I am experiencing some of the stress and anxiety around the gap year.
There’s always been a little bit of a stigma around taking gap years: for many people, it is a break between either high school and undergrad or undergraduate and graduate level education. This can be a time to travel and explore life before plunging back into school or like in my situation, it can be a time to build up your resume and experience for future job prospects. Even though it is a more common pathway now, there can be some negative connotations associated with the concept because it can make you “fall behind” but if you are unsure about your future plans and need time to figure that out, it can be the most financially smart and time-conscious decision that keeps you from actually falling behind in the future.
Spending my last year of college in a global pandemic definitely didn’t help alleviate any of this uncertainty. The unpredictability of this last year has also led multiple graduates to lean towards taking a gap year. If you prefer in-person education instead of virtual learning, do not think your home would facilitate a good learning environment or would benefit from taking some time to save up money to pay off loans or debt, a gap year might be the most ideal plan. Additionally, a gap can definitely extend past a single year to make the best use out of the time off from further education.
I am choosing to live at home with my parents during my gap year to save up the money that would be spent on rent but because I was unable to spend most of the previous year on campus due to COVID-19, I am definitely a little bit regretful of missing out on some of the prime experiences of my college years. As stressful as the expectations are to have the most streamlined and productive path to my future, I know this will be the best decision for me in the long run.