Many students view graduation as the beginning of something new, such as graduate school, a job offer, or a well-defined path. However, a rising number of students are choosing to take a gap year instead.
Before moving on to the next phase of life, these post-college breaks allow students to explore, think, or get practical experience. However, students who take this step at UT frequently find themselves on their own. By providing advice, a community, and planning resources to assist students take time off with purpose rather than uncertainty, a student-run gap year information hub might help close that gap.
Co-founder of J2Guides Jane Sarouhan has witnessed thousands of students pause between graduation and their next course of action. The most frequent cause? exhaustion.
According to Sarouhan, the most common reason given by students in our nation for wanting to take a break is academic fatigue. They feel as though they are stuck in a never-ending cycle of work, and they are no longer even sure why.
The pressure to commit to graduate school or a career right away can be unbearable, especially for seniors in college, but taking a pause does not equate to falling behind.
The largest fallacy, according to Sarouhan, is that students worry that taking a gap year will hinder their achievement or academic progress. However, there isn’t any proof of that.
Instead than delaying success, gap years can make it better. Students who take time out from school can develop the clarity, self-assurance, and career-shaping abilities they need. Sometimes that growth is personal rather than merely academic.
According to Rosa Moreno, a UT alumna and former chief program officer for Service Year Alliance, the intangibles are the most important lessons to be learned. You gain resilience, flexibility, teamwork, and problem-solving skills, and I think you simply have a little more faith and confidence in yourself.
External opportunities frequently result from those internal improvements.
Early in my career, I had the opportunity to work on projects and take action, Moreno added. Otherwise, I never would have experienced that.
Even with these advantages, the majority of students are unsure of where to begin. In contrast to graduate school applications or job searches, there is no clear path for students who wish to take a break—only sporadic guidance and ambiguous support.
A student-led gap year handbook for seniors who are graduating would be an easy fix. Peer-to-peer resources, such as student-written preparation materials, graduate testimonies, and unofficial panels, might be the focal point of this. These could assist normalize the decision to take time off and let students know they’re not alone.
One of the best ways for individuals to sign up and say “yes” is to hear from someone who has already done it, Moreno added.
Some would claim that UT’s job ends at graduation or view gap years as a sign of ignoring obligations. That argument, however, misrepresents the reality of student needs as well as the goal of a gap year.
Gap years are about intention more than avoidance. After graduation, UT’s goal of preparing students for success in life continues.
“I can tell there’s some interest if you’re considering it,” Moreno remarked. “Just do it,” I would advise. Why not?
A significant aspect of the post-graduation experience is now gap years. UT ought to assist students in organizing them, offer them encouragement, and help them feel less isolated for making a different decision.
Chitturi, a Houston, Texas native, is a junior studying statistics and data science.
