What to do if you have nowhere to go after school

For some, September 1 is the beginning of student life, new acquaintances and joy. And those who have not gone to university, stress and anxiety. Our new article will tell you what a gap year is, what it is for and why life on a student card does not end there.

What is the gap year

Initially One year interval This is the gap between graduating from school and going to college. The concept of the now-expanded year has expanded: now those who decide to take a break after graduation, those who take academic leave in the middle of the curriculum, and those who are tired of work are now considered “French.” The term break and practice came from the West, gaining popularity in Russia in recent years.

The gap year should not be one year. A few months is enough for someone, someone will get involved and extend the break for a few years. How much time you need is up to you, depending on your condition.

Why do you need a study break?

The first and most important is vacation. For many children, the last 2-3 years of school are a wild stress: you have to decide on the direction of further education, prepare for the Unified State Exam and pass the school curriculum. Mix it all up from above with pressure from some parents, teachers and the community and get a nuclear cocktail called neurosis. The gap year allows you to breathe and relax, normalize sleep and general health.

The second most common reason for a break is to understand in what direction we should move. Lucky few from kindergarten know what it should be like when they grow up. Most go to university because “you have to go somewhere” and it is a shame to be the only person who has not entered anywhere. When you decide to take a break, you sincerely admit that you have not decided on a profession and you do not want to study for at least 4 years. This is an adult and responsible decision.

It often happens that the gap year happens involuntarily – just not enough points to get. Of course, stress at first, but you should not give up on yourself. A well-done year can give you more than just a university.

How to make the most of your break year

Foreign experience shows clear examples of gap years: After school, foreigners often travel the world to relax and explore other cultures. If it’s cool for you to go to Italy for a month, it’s cool to go to a bread shop, but if not *, then here are some options on how to spend time without learning in an interesting and useful way:

Take an internship

Often, a lack of pay frightens us into responding to an internship, so one year is a chance to try something new, even if you do not get paid for it. Let it be a 2-3 month internship, but interesting for you. You will gain experience (which will help you later in finding a job), knowledge and you will “explore” an interesting field from the inside. For example, you thought about going to law school, but you could not. Find an internship at a law firm (or request one yourself by writing a cover letter), work it out and see if it’s worth it. In another article we talked about what you need to know before your first internship to be successful.

Participate in a volunteer program

Volunteering is not only a way to do useful and good deeds, but also a chance to learn things, meet interesting people and even travel for free. Social networks are full of groups posting volunteers and doing internships abroad – go ahead!

Get ready to enroll in university

If you decide to study but do not get enough points, you will have plenty of time during the gap year to carefully prepare for the re-examination.

Get work experience

Do not be afraid of not the most “prestigious” job, try yourself in different roles: barista, sales assistant, waiter, secretary. Gap year is a great time to try new things and give up if you do not like it. After a study break and first job experience, many people understand what they really want to do. In addition, you will earn first money, get to know different areas and people, and gain experience in working relationships. And your peers who went to college will experience this later.

Get to know yourself better

Probably, in the slow-moving agitation race “School – University – Work”, you will realize that you do not want to go to university at all, but dream of dancing tango and teaching others. Or that you like to paint a lot, but until now you considered yourself a completely uncreative person. Or that you want to take programming courses even though you have been convinced for the rest of your life that you are a humanist.

Rest is essential and it is in a state of relaxation that we have time to talk to ourselves and listen to our desires. We only have one life and spending 4 years for a diploma is just unfortunate 🙂

Try something new

It’s very cool to challenge yourself during the break in the “Always Say Yes” style. Bead Tutorial? Yes! Capoeira master class? Yes! Hiking in the Moscow region? Yes! Try new things, do not sit at home all day, go on adventures. You never know what kind of experience you will need and where you will end up.

* And if you still want to see the world, but finances sing romances, gather information about paid volunteering abroad, read about couchsurfing and think about hitchhiking. You will get invaluable experience, no university will tell you that!

Disadvantages of the gap year

Despite the obvious advantages of this practice, it also has disadvantages:

• Do not forget about compulsory military service for men in Russia. The prospect of spending a year in Vorkuta barracks is as follows.
• Pressure from family and community. “But Aunt Luba’s daughter was brought in,” “What can we say to Grandma now, she will be upset!”, “Do not invent, you just do not want to do anything” – unfortunately, all this is heard in response. In your speech, you decided to take a break after school and not go to college. Try to speak calmly and do not bring the first emotions close to your heart – the older generation is frightened by everything unusual. Consider the financial side of the issue, whether you will need to find a job urgently if you can just relax. If relatives ask a direct question, be prepared to defend your point of view and look for a job.
• The need to take responsibility. Teachers and parents help you at school, teachers at the university help us. If you decide to get out of this trajectory, be prepared to decide everything independently. This responsibility frightens many, but behind it lies the real freedom of action and decision.
• Instability. In the continuation of the previous paragraph, be prepared for the stranger, if you decide not to follow the right path, but the twisted path. Be scared at first and wonder what to do; In this condition it is easy to slip into depression and apathy.
• Fear and anxiety. Many are afraid that after a break of one year they will not be able to go anywhere or will be treated worse, someone is afraid of being “lost” for a year, someone is worried about money or a relationship with their parents. Remember that everything will improve and it is up to you how useful the gap year will be.

Bottom line: Do you still go to university or do you relax?

In the article we talked about the pros and cons of the gap year, shared options on how to spend this time with benefits, and tried to warn us about the possible consequences. And how you do it is up to you. You can still jump in the last car and get into college with a fee or correspondence. Or you can decide the gap year.

Just to remind you once again: there is nothing wrong with not being admitted to the institute this year. It does not make you a failure, but it does give you the opportunity for further development. Travel, learn new things, try different things and find yourself!

source: i can choose