Take a gap year. It could be the best thing for you (and your business).
Caught up in the midst of my second semester of freshman year, I’d begun to plan for the fall to come. The film gate — a symbolic standard that all film majors must surpass — quickly approached and I lacked the passion of my peers. In fact, I was miserable.
In answer to my crisis, a friend prompted: “Why not take a gap year?”
For one, my time had passed. The gap year I knew took place immediately after high school, allowing students to figure out their messy lives before entering the world of college. Secondly, I’d always been a dedicated student. A gap year would never fit the four-year graduation mold. Lastly, I had a scholarship to uphold, friends to impress and parents to not disappoint. I could never check all of those boxes by deciding to up and leave.
Despite all of my misplaced assumptions, I decided to take the leap, quickly learning how wrong I had been with my hesitations. Whether you are a student or an employee, I encourage you to take a year, three months, or any sort of extended time away, to truly experience all that the “gap” has to offer.
1. Find some actual perspective. (And no, traveling to Cancun for spring break doesn’t count.)
The “gap” is all about experiencing something new: Travel to somewhere you’ve never been before, become the minority, be the outsider who doesn’t speak one bit of the language, learn what life looks like from outside your bubble, do so alone, create a healthy sense of fear and uncertainty for yourself, get lost, cry, be that American tourist, let the French (or whoever) mock you, experience embarrassment so that you can laugh about it later, ask questions, lots and lots of questions, and remember to listen. The best way to think outside the box is to physically leave it and explore what’s on the outside; that’s gaining perspective.
2. Build your network.
My favorite cliché applies here: quality over quantity. The extent of your network holds little meaning when it is made up of one hundred people with the same background and experiences. During my time away from school, networking never even approached my radar. And yet, I had been doing so the entire time. Not only had I created valuable connections during my time working in the lesser-known state of South Dakota (believe it or not, more than four people do live there) but also, I made lasting friendships with individuals from a multitude of countries and backgrounds.
3. Gain valuable work experience.
Many companies offer half or full-year internships. Because most people are unavailable for this length of time due to school or work, these positions are often easier to attain than many summer jobs. The traditional summer internship lasts about 10 weeks, providing interns with a snapshot of the experience. A longer internship grants a greater opportunity to establish lasting connections, translating to a solid foundation to build your future career from.
4. Earn money.
Working 60+ hours per week will never sound great. However, I have no regrets following the five or so months that I did so during my year off (and neither does my bank account). While you may not follow exactly in my footsteps, taking some time away from school to build base savings could prove to be extremely useful when you decide to dive into entrepreneurship down the road.
5. Give yourself some good, old-fashioned time.
Take from this what you want, whether it be time to learn, grow, explore, and think. Search out the problems in the world, actively look for solutions, and look at what has already been done. Feel free to lean into clichés and find yourself (you might end up finding a business along the way).
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Interested in looking into the gap year more seriously? Here are a few helpful links:
