By Sadie Levy
Most students attempt to follow the predesigned path of what society has labeled as successful and expected. In doing so, we are bound to burn out. Perhaps even lose touch with individuality. There is no solution to completely avoiding the bounds of cultural expectations. However, there are small ways in which we can connect more with ourselves, our environment, and our greater community, such as taking a gap year before carrying on with our academic careers.
There is so much weight on formal education post high school; yet a toxic culture surrounds the college application process and access to education has become inequitable. I think that while education in a school setting is extremely valuable, the best education comes from experience.
During the pandemic many students graduating high school and planning to attend college opted to take a gap year. College classes were running remotely in many cases and the overall experience was polluted with pandemic protocol. Even now, as life returns to normal on campuses, many continue to choose to take a year off post-graduation.
When attending college after a gap year, one may find that they have actually improved their performance academically. Starting school refreshed and motivated about the world results in better grades for many students. Consider, academic burnout is something many tiptoe dangerously close to the edge of. But it can be avoided. It’s important to gain confidence in yourself and your abilities outside of a classroom. It is necessary that we start prioritizing learning how to be an individual in our global community with life skills beyond formal classroom schooling.
What a gap year could look like.
A gap year is customizable to the individual. It could look like volunteer work, getting a job, an internship in one’s field of interest, and so many other creative possibilities.
I have always planned a gap year abroad. I see it as a vital opportunity – when I have the time in my life to see the world – to practice language and learn by reacting to an environment. For this purpose, I have saved money working various jobs throughout high school. The very act of being financially conscious as I plan my travels has made me substantially more financially aware. This is learning in context.
This whole business of living is nothing if not a great big risk! And a gap year abroad may just be the perfect opportunity to collect stories, life skills, and freedom.
Sadie Levy is a Junior at Waynflete high school in Portland, Maine. She loves writing and adventuring in nature.
