# Should I take a gap year?



## Viz (Jul 18, 2013)

I'm about to finish highschool and the entire time I was absolutely miserable and struggled every day just getting by. Now I have the option of taking a gap year to travel/take a break or just going straight to higher education straight away. 

Should I take a gap year? What is it like to be on a gap year? I'm scared I'll just be sitting around all day doing nothing for a full year when I'm not travelling. It'd be the first time ever I'd have that freedom and it's scawy...


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## Classified (Dec 7, 2004)

Do it!

You are already in Australia it says, so are there any parts of the country you haven't been to yet? Have you been to New Zealand?

What kind of traveling are you thinking about? Asia, Europe, Australia, North America? Backpacking and staying at hostels, camping, or working while traveling? 


If I had more time when I was at home with nothing to do, I would have spent time getting things organized, reducing the amount of 'stuff' I have to move around to where ever I was going to go, and just relaxing without worrying about a schedule. Read some books, pick up some fun hobbies, do some things in your city that you don't have time for, study what you want and are passionate about.


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## Crystalline (Dec 1, 2008)

If you had a hard time in HS you probably are not going to have a good time of it in college. Take your time.


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## Just Lurking (Feb 8, 2007)

I wonder how often "gap years" turn into "get full time job -- enjoy-or-rely-on money too much -- to hell with college" type deals.


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## komorikun (Jan 11, 2009)

As long as you can afford it. I took off after 2 years of city college and didn't come back for 8 years but that was because my dad did not offer to help me again financially and there was no place to stay. If I had known that financial aid and student loans can pay for everything once you are considered independent of your parents (age 24), I would have come back earlier.


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## Raeden (Feb 8, 2013)

Sure, so long as you do something productive during the year. I don't think it would be very beneficial to just take off a year and end up doing nothing, though.


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## Viz (Jul 18, 2013)

Classified said:


> Do it!
> 
> You are already in Australia it says, so are there any parts of the country you haven't been to yet? Have you been to New Zealand?
> 
> ...


Sorry it took me a few hours to reply. I wasn't expecting lots of people to actually read my post and reply.... thanks for the reply! I've been thinking of buying any 'around the world' plane ticket that goes to places that sound cool, such as Korea, UK, Canada, USA, France, etc.

I was also considering using that year off to study completely independently so I could catch up on everything I should have learnt in HS, then get a new ATAR score of like 80+ at an institution in my city that lets you do that. So that would mean 1 gap year used to study independently, 1-2 year(s) of getting a new ATAR, and THEN starting uni.

Does that sound ridiculous?^ I hope it doesn't but please be honest.


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## lisbeth (May 18, 2012)

Yes. I did and I'm so glad I did.

I'm on my phome right now and can't type accurately enough to write everything I have to say about this, but I'll reply here again tomorrow and tell you why I think you should!


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## musiclover55 (Feb 7, 2011)

Definitely do it! 

I regret letting my family talk me out of it, but now that I have 1 year of college down, I'm going to take a year off (scared to tell my mom though  ).

If you can afford to travel, then do that. Experiencing other countries and cultures might motivate you for when you do decide to attend college. I would travel if I could, but I'm going to focus on losing weight, finding a job, and learning how to do fun stuff like play an instrument and a front flip.


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## Classified (Dec 7, 2004)

Viz said:


> Sorry it took me a few hours to reply. I wasn't expecting lots of people to actually read my post and reply.... thanks for the reply! I've been thinking of buying any 'around the world' plane ticket that goes to places that sound cool, such as Korea, UK, Canada, USA, France, etc.
> 
> I was also considering using that year off to study completely independently so I could catch up on everything I should have learnt in HS, then get a new ATAR score of like 80+ at an institution in my city that lets you do that. So that would mean 1 gap year used to study independently, 1-2 year(s) of getting a new ATAR, and THEN starting uni.
> 
> Does that sound ridiculous?^ I hope it doesn't but please be honest.


There is plenty of time to work once you get older.

The around the world plane ticket thing looks fun, but I will warn you that there are two emotions most travelers have. One, they wish they could continue or Two, they wonder what they are doing wasting time when other people are being all productive. You have to be ok with putting your working life on hold for a while to experience real life.


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## GreenRoom (Jan 28, 2012)

If you had a time in high school like I did I think you would need the break. I didn't take a gap year before I started uni but I took one in the middle of my degree. It was mostly a recovery time where I reflected on what I wanted to do in life and really focused on getting better. It helped a lot. It got me in a better headspace and ready to tackle uni again.


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## Nono441 (May 14, 2012)

I say do it. I probably should've myself, now I probably will only after I graduate or a quickie during summer holidays.. dunno.. go for it.


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## Sabreena (Feb 17, 2012)

Raeden said:


> Sure, so long as you do something productive during the year. I don't think it would be very beneficial to just take off a year and end up doing nothing, though.


Yeah, you need to have something planned-- are you going to start a business? go backpacking? take on an internship/apprenticeship? become an expert in Photoshop or some software? It will look better on your resume to say you DID something during that time...


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