When Is The Best Time To Take A Gap Year?

When is the best time to take a gap year? The quick answer is that it is completely your choice.

The goal of a gap year is to take “time off” to have fun while experiencing the real world through travel, work, adventure, volunteering, or study. It is an opportunity to broaden your horizons and explore what is possible in life. No matter when you take a gap year, it will provide a refreshing outlook on life that is meant to excite you for whatever comes next. This structured time period is all about you. It’s your responsibility to decide what stage of life is best for you to take a gap year – and anytime works.

The vast majority of people choose to take a gap year between high school and college or university. This is prime time for confident, eager, and adventurous young people to experience the real world for the first time. As their first opportunity to not be a student, these young people are exposed to what is truly possible in the world by working cool jobs, traveling to far-flung destinations, networking with worldly travelers, volunteering for rewarding causes, or studying things that interest them.

A successful gap year can help to determine a person’s interests and set them up for both a positive academic experience and an exciting career that will make them smile. Universities and colleges accept that students will apply and then defer their admittance in order to take a gap year. Higher education sees this character-building time period as an opportunity for students to become more well-rounded, independent, and responsible people who know what they want to learn and ultimately do.

At this stage in life you have limited commitments, few possessions, and a desire to travel and do exciting things. And let’s not forget that the younger generation, ages 18 to 30, still qualify for working holiday visas that allow them to legally work abroad. That’s an opportunity that needs to be capitalized on.

During this pre-university time frame, you can do what you want with your time. Plan accordingly to maximize your adventures and to ensure that you are back in time to start school. Be sure to work, travel, study, volunteer, and live life to the fullest during your gap year so that it’s an enjoyable year that also sets you up for future success.

If you don’t take a gap year before college it’s not a problem at all. You can take a gap anytime:

• During University
• After College Before You Start A Job
• Before You Begin A Graduate Program
• Between Jobs Or Careers
• During Your Professional Life
• After A Major Life Event
• When You Retire

Gap years can literally be taken anytime that they fit into your schedule. Often taking a gap year at a later stage in life is more beneficial because you will be more confident, focused, and financially stable. At the same time, you may have other obligations to deal with – debt, families, dogs, possessions, jobs, health, etc. Plus, you may not qualify for certain gap year programs, which means you’ll have to plan your own gap year (but that’s no big deal).

Try to take a gap year when it causes minimal disruption to your life. Ideally, you’ll be able to seamlessly weave it into your busy life schedule. Depending on when you take your gap year, it may be called a gap year, a sabbatical, or a career break. As long as you use the time in a beneficial way, you’ll be thankful that you took that time off.

Whenever you choose to take your gap year is up to you. Plan out how you want to spend your time. Use it productively and constructively to ensure that it sets you up for long-term success. If you spend your time to refresh, prioritize, and energize your future, your gap year will be a game-changer. A gap year will make you a more interesting person who is ultimately more employable – that’s a good thing for every age group.