Take a Year Off

July 28, 2023

by Christian Phillips

Do you plan on attending college this upcoming fall semester? Consider taking a year off to explore personal and career interests.
 
[Definition]
  • What is a gap year? A gap year refers to high school graduates or current college students taking a pre-planned break from their academic responsibilities to explore educational, career, and personal interests.
Are you considering this option? If yes, it might be helpful to ask yourself. “What do I plan on achieving by taking a year off?” Will you work full-time, part-time, intern, volunteer, or travel during this period? Develop a plan to ensure you are utilizing your time efficiently.

Advantages:
An initial advantage of taking time away from school is preventing academic burnout.

[Definition]
  • What does academic burnout mean? The term often describes when a student’s educational effort steadily declines. This can be caused by feeling overwhelmed, anxious, and stressed.
Your mental health is essential; if you need to separate yourself from academic responsibilities, don’t hesitate.
Additional advantages include traveling, finding new personal interests, obtaining valuable work experience (Networking), and teaching yourself independence.

Disadvantages:
Incoming and current college students are generally accustomed to studying, completing homework, and taking tests regularly. Taking a year off can produce bad habits and deteriorate your ability to thrive in a college environment. In addition, time away from school means you will be an entire academic year behind schedule. There is no official timeline for completing your education, but it does affect career and salary opportunities post-graduation.

[Final Thoughts]
Everyone's educational journey is different. Don’t feel pressured by social expectations; do what’s best for you. Remember, have a plan, and make the most of your time away from academic duties.  
 

Related Posts

You are about to leave the Frandsen Bank Website.

The site you have selected is an external one located on another server. Frandsen Bank has no responsibility for any external website. It neither endorses the information, content, presentation, or accuracy, nor makes any warranties, express or implied, regarding the external site. Thank you for visiting Frandsen Bank.

Open a New Deposit Account

If you wish enroll in online banking, please click "Cancel" and navigate to the "Enroll in Online Banking" button below "Log In".

If you wish to open a new deposit account, please click "Proceed".

Thank you for banking with Frandsen Bank & Trust!

You are about to leave the Frandsen Bank Website.

The site you have selected is an external one located on another server. Frandsen Bank has no responsibility for any external website. It neither endorses the information, content, presentation, or accuracy, nor makes any warranties, express or implied, regarding the external site. Thank you for visiting Frandsen Bank.