I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to have a year or two of breaks and then have to readjust to the demanding scheduling of my classes.
Gap years can cause instability so maybe they should be avoided
By Angelika Leal, Contributor
Is going to college at a young age beneficial? Personally, I would say that it is.
When I had finally become a high school senior, the first thing I did was research every single potential college and university. I studied all their requirements and planned out what I wanted to major in. Because for me, the most logical thing to do was to continue my studies right after I graduated high school.
At this point in time, I’ve graduated twice from an accredited post-secondary institution (from diploma programs and all that jazz). Soon after I turn 22, I’ll be graduating for the third time. The point of this isn’t to ‘flex’ as it is to say that I’m glad I did this at such a young age.
For starters, it’s easier to remember things that I learned in high school because I didn’t take a gap year. You might’ve heard the rumour that learning a language is much easier to do when you’re younger. As someone who loves learning languages, I didn’t want to go too long without having seen or studied French. The same goes for any other subject, such as math or science. Since my last post-secondary education was entirely theatre-based, going into any course related to math or science feels as though I had never learned them before.
Plus, I assume that the momentum of studying is easier to maintain than if I had to throw myself back into school. I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to have a year or two of breaks and then have to readjust to the demanding scheduling of my classes. It gives me a sense of stability as to how I should manage my time, and how it’ll be easier to maintain when I finish. People I know that have taken a gap year have always told me that they regret it because suddenly they have to cater to something that takes up a huge chunk of their time.
By the way, I’m not saying that gap years are completely terrible. If you need that time off for mental health, financial reasons, etc., it’s understandable. I just think that personally, a gap year would do me a disservice more than anything. Even though I was still in school during 2020, I found that coming back to campus this Fall made it feel as though I had to re-learn how to be a student.
Lastly, as much as I love all the things I’ve studied and all the friends I’ve made in college, it’ll be a relief to be finally free from school. After I graduate for (hopefully) the last time, the rest of my life will no longer revolve around grades and last-minute crams. Instead, the rest of my life will be dedicated to doing what I want to be doing—and I’ll already have the skills to get there.
