Rhys - 00:01
Picture this, you're unsure about what you want to do for post-secondary or you think you might need a year or two to avoid academic burnout.
So you are considering taking a gap year. However, you can't make this big of a decision without doing some research and asking around, so you tell some friends and family about how great you think that a Gap Year could be for you and what is one of the most common replies that you get back, “If you take a gap here, you're never gonna go back to school”.
Well, thank goodness that you clicked on this video. Originally before my gap year, I believed things like that too. However, now I know there are a lot of misconceptions out there.
Rhys - 00:51
A study by the Wall Street Journal in 2010 shows that 90% of people returned to school after their Gap Year. However, we all know that studies can be biased, so I texted the people I did a Gap Year with to see what they're up to.
Out of the 17 peers that I texted that I did a gap year with, 16 of us are returning to school within two years after a gap year making for a 94% return rate.
And even if you don't go back to school. Is that really the worst thing? I can only think of one person I did a gap year with who's doing the same program she thought she was going to do when she was in grade 12.
Rhys - 01:40
A Gap Year can help you get a better sense of who you are and what you want when you go to post-secondary. I'm about to enter a program in college that I got accepted to two years ago.
The difference is 2 years ago, I wasn't this passionate about it and I was really unsure about the world around. I could have gone the traditional path, started college two years ago, right after high school and it would have saved me two years.
But the reality is I personally feel a lot more prepared than some of my future classmates. During my gap years, I've developed strong habits and I feel more prepared and genuinely excited than I've ever felt before to go to school.
Rhys - 02:31
Everyone's journey in life is different and Gap Years may not be for everyone. But if you think about how prepared we feel for life and for school after our gap years. It’s pretty hard to argue that we're behind everyone else.
If you guys like this video and want to hear more about my story and misconceptions about gap years, well you know what to do.