Should I Take a Gap Year? Key Benefits and Considerations

Introduction
Traditionally, students in India attend colleges immediately after passing their 12th. Choosing a college depends on the course you want to pursue and the marks you have obtained in your 12th and entrance examinations. What happens if you don’t score enough to take a course you choose at a college you like? Do you join whatever course is available, or do you take a gap year and work on improving your scores with the subsequent exams in the next academic year? 
These are challenging questions for students and parents because a gap year means taking time off traditional education and working towards your goal. It is fruitful only if you can achieve your dreams. Otherwise, you would have wasted a year. 
Let’s explore the gap year’s pros and cons and understand if it is needed for personal and professional growth.
 
Benefits and Challenges of a Gap Year
A break before joining a college or starting your career allows you to pause studying, work, travel, volunteer, or dedicate all your time to entrance exam preparations. It can be a fantastic opportunity, but it also has challenges. 
 
Pros

Pursue your passions and explore what you want to do in life. You can take this time to try out different avenues in your passion and work on professional growth. 
Instead of getting started in a career you are unsure of, you can volunteer to gain work experience in the industry to see if it is right for you. 
Work experience or volunteering work will boost your CV.
If you can afford it, you can travel to other countries to explore nontraditional career paths with a digital nomad lifestyle. Such an experience is valuable. 
Students with an insatiable desire to join a program or college will benefit the most from a gap year as they can focus on the necessary entrance examinations. 

 
Cons
 

Without self-motivation or a structured program, you may lose academic momentum with a gap year. 
Many students get distracted during the break year and spend their time slogging or getting lost in social media. 
Even after a gap year, you may not score high enough to fulfill your aspirations. 
If you decide to travel during the gap year, it may become expensive. 
With a gap year, you will fall behind a whole year compared to your peers.  

 
Should I Take a Gap Year?
In Western countries, students more commonly take a gap year after high school graduation to explore their options. They travel, take up odd jobs, join gap semester programs, and ponder their life choices. They value experiences and try to work on improving their skills before pursuing academia or entering the job market.
However, for Indian students, taking a gap year is a huge decision where there is a lot of weight on the students’ shoulders. You feel so much pressure to ensure you score well enough to achieve your dreams at the end of a gap year. A 2023 study by the Indian School Counsellors Association found that 72% of counsellors feel that a structured gap year enables students to enter academia with increased motivation and focus.
Nevertheless, it is not an easy decision to make. A break year may benefit you if you are focused on your career path and want nothing more. However, if you scored less because the career is not your first choice or your score is much lower than the cut-off, taking a gap year may not be right. It is better to take up a career assessment test or consult with a career guidance counsellor before making this choice.
 
What to Do in a Gap Year?
A gap year is the time you get to explore all possible options. Even if you don’t aspire to join any college or don’t have a specific career path, you can take a break year to update your skills and gain hands-on experience. Here are some of the ways you can spend your gap year:
 
#1 Focus on College Readiness
Depending on which program or college you want to pursue, you can use the gap year to prepare for the exams. For example, join structured programs and NEET training courses if you aspire to become a doctor. Similarly, you can prepare for other competitive exams like JEE, CA foundation, and others. If you want to join a foreign university, you can prepare to get higher test scores and boost your application form. 
 
#2 Build Your Skills
A gap year is an excellent time to build skills if you want to explore nontraditional career pathways. For example, if you’re going to become a social media influencer, take a gap year to learn all about SEO and social media and use the platform to build your brand. By the end of a gap year, you will gain hands-on experience in social media, and you can then pursue courses like digital marketing that can help you become better at it. You can also work as a freelancer and use your skills to gain practical knowledge and start earning. If necessary, you can upskill through online learning platforms. 
 
#3 Join Volunteer Gap Year Programs
Many NGOs offer volunteer programs targeted explicitly for gap year students. With an open mind, you can join one of these programs and meet people from different countries. Participating in these volunteering programs will open up your mind and make it possible to find work opportunities with similar NGOs. At the end of these programs, you may also receive volunteering certificates, which can be helpful for your applications later.  
 
#4 Take Up Travelling Gap Year Programs
Those who enjoy traveling and immersing in different cultures can join global gap year programs. They often come with a hefty price tag, but if you have an excellent academic score, you can find scholarships to cover some of these programs. With international programs, you can travel to different continents, hike difficult trails, volunteer, and explore life like never before. Such programs will be beneficial for your overseas college applications. 
 
#5 Get an Actual Job
While a gap year is a break from your academics, you can also use this time to get an actual job. Many professional internship programs welcome students after the 12th to experience the industry and work culture. These full-time jobs will take up your entire weekdays, but you will gain actual job experience. So, taking another full-time job can be overwhelming if you want to prepare for competitive exams during your gap year. 
 
Conclusion
A gap year allows you to step out of your comfort zone and discover about yourself. You can use this time to prepare for college readiness, upskill, explore alternative career options, or travel to gain real-world experience. With planning and structure, your gap year will be fulfilling and enriching. As long as you are motivated, your gap year will help you better understand yourself and career opportunities. 
 
Feeling like taking a gap year but worrying about your career prospects after taking a break from your education or job? Explore Mindler blogs and check out career assistance programs to get started after a gap year.