For Filipinos out there. Thinking of taking a gap year? Here are the things you should consider.
Taking a year off your studies is a daunting decision you’ve to think through-especially taking a gap year in the Philippines where it is not as common to hit the pause button. We’re constantly bombarded with this insistent pressure to finish our education in time-an education that often won’t even arm us with the right knowledge to survive the whirlpool that is life.
Let me reassure you: it’s really frightening to foray into the unknown! But it feels so much better to stay within the familiar, isn’t it?
Either you’re a high school senior looking into taking a break before college or a college freshman considering filing a leave of absence, I’ll tell you this:
It’s been only two months since I took the leap of faith, but I already can’t say this enough: taking a break from my studies is the best life decision that I’ve ever made!
If you’re looking for a sign, this is it. Go on, take a gap year.
But while taking a gap year has been beneficial for me and my well-being (I’ve been sleeping for eight hours a day now-who knew I would’ve had time for that?), it may not be the panacea for everyone as it is for me.
We’re all on different tracks. And there is no one-size-fits-all track we can be on.
Here are the things you must consider before deciding to plunge into a gap year.
School post-gap year
All things come to an end. Unless you decide to completely ditch the conventional higher education ‘path to success’, you will have to worry about where you’ll spend your next years of education post-gap year.
Some universities allow deferral of their admission offers. Others do not and will even require you to reapply and retake their entrance examinations. In my experience, they do allow it generally as long as you have a valid reason. I emailed two universities last June 2020, and though I didn’t proceed with my plans of deferring their offers, they were open about it. It doesn’t hurt to inquire with the admission offices of your prospective schools about their guidelines.
As for current college students, know your university’s policy for taking a gap year or a gap semester. How will leaving school affect your standing? Which courses will you have to take again? Will your individual plans of study be affected? Are you okay with the possibility that it could delay your graduation? Determine whether you’re okay with the trade-offs.
Know your why
What exactly are you aiming for? What do you wish to accomplish with your year off?
Clarity with your self-image, desired career path? Forward your advocacy? Career advancement? Better relationship with yourself and the people that matter to you? Fluency in a foreign language? Immerse in different cultures? Start a business? Or simply to rest?
The possibilities are endless. You need to set an end goal. Know what you’re after. Know your why.
Plan, plan, and plan. And plan.
There goes a cliché, “not planning is planning to fail.”
Deciding to take a gap year without planning it well is like diving head first straight into the sea. Except you’re not even sure if the sea is indeed a sea.
Thus, it is crucial to figure out your what. Keeping in mind your why, what will you do for the entirety of your gap year to realize your goals? What can you do to achieve your goals?
Maybe you want to intern at a government office or learn a new skill in the arts. Or perhaps you don’t know what you really want-you can list down the activities you might enjoy and see if it would click.
As for me and my Project AJ Unleashed, I have a monthly theme with corresponding goals that I would undertake. For instance, this month revolved around everything about money. The previous months were about resetting and resting-that’s why I sleep eight hours now.
While it is common for people abroad to travel when they’re taking a gap year, your activities don’t have to be grandeur at all! Just make sure that what you’re doing is something that resonates with you, excites you, and brings you closer to your goals.
Don’t worry about being specific about your goals for the entire year. We can only foresee and plan as much as we can. And have I told you to plan?
Money matters
Doing almost anything, unfortunately, requires money whether we like it or not. As much as I want to be naïve and pretend that the best things in life are free, the truth is I- we- can’t move around and go out there without money.
For my February resolutions, for instance, I said I wanted to read more books. It may not seem an expensive resolution but even then, books cost a lot! Or maybe I’m just looking for reasons to buy new books even if I have yet to read the ones I previously hoarded. Either way, I’m glad I didn’t give in and hoard again.
If you don’t have the resources, there are limitless ways you can earn money while you’re in a gap year. Opening a business, freelancing, accepting commissions-just be creative! If you’re looking on how to supplement your savings, check out these 4 Filipino Personal Finance Youtubers You Should Follow.
Money is a tool. It’s how we achieve our whys.
Don’t worry too much about it, though. I kept my gap year expectation to the minimum partly because of the pandemic restrictions, and partly because I know I don’t have much resources either-I have enough to buy me a book here and there. Still, I’m doing great but it frankly could be better.
Ready. Get set. FOMO.
Still considering a gap year? Yes? Okay now, are you prepared to miss out?
Your batchmates will be ahead of you. Your expected year of graduation will inevitably be postponed. And you will have to face that grueling fear of missing out. Even when you’re right on track toward your goals, on some days it’d feel like you’ve made the wrong move.
There will be opportunities that you’d miss because you weren’t there. If times get rough, just remember why you wanted to take a break in the first place-your why. Remember, there will always be sacrifices you’ve to make to get to your finish line. Besides, your finish line doesn’t need to be the same as theirs, anyway.
I know that you already know deep inside what’s best for you. Trust your guts. Submit to it. Whether you take a gap year or not, treat every day as a learning experience.
Continuing to study in a bleak time like this requires deliberate discernment. But so does taking a break. Know yourself.
Stay unleashed!
Originally published at https://www.ajunleashed.com on March 12, 2021.
