6 Things to Do After Your
Gap Year
Gap years offer the unique opportunity for individuals to push the pause button on their lives, and take time to engage in their own self-reflection. It is common for a person to enter a gap year with the hopes that the experience will enlighten them towards what to do with their life once the program is complete. For some, the next step becomes clear and they return eager and ready for the next phase of their life. For others, the ambiguity of the possibilities can seem daunting. If you are either of these people or someone in between, here are 6 options for what to do next:
1. Spend Time With Good People
This really applies at any point of life, but holds especially true when returning home from a gap year. Returners from gap programs have a head full of experiences and a mouth that desires to talk only about those experiences. Thanks to the force that is social media, odds are many people are going to know that you were away. People will ask you how your program was. Answering the question “How was (insert destination(s) of your program)?” will become a regular part of your life. Unfortunately, not everyone has the time or desire to hear your true and full answer.
The good people in your life are the ones who truly want to know. These are the people who will sit down and spend two hours looking through your photos with you. They ask in depth questions and become a source of comfort upon re-entering home life. It is important to remember that while you were gone their lives were happening too. Check in on them and give them your attention to hear about all that they have had going on.
2. Write Things Down
Travel Blogs are one of the most common types of blogs, and that’s for a good reason. It’s exciting to share our experiences in one space for all of the people in our lives to follow. If it’s not a blog it’s a travel journal or maybe just some e-mails written to someone back home. Continuing that writing process when returning home is a really healthy way to reflect on the experience you had. Often post-gap experience entries are the ones that evoke the most thought and create the most potential for inspiration for what you want next in your life.
3. Volunteer In Your Own Community
This one is my personal favorite on the list. Many gap programs have an emphasis on volunteering in new locations. Simply put, the experience of being able to impact communities across the globe is one of substantial reward. Being able to recreate the feeling of those experiences in your own community potentially holds an even greater reward. No matter the community you are in, there is someone there who could benefit from your time and abilities.
4. Get An Education…
A very common time for gap years is the year following high school graduation. A gap year offers discovery, adventure, and the opportunity to learn lessons that could not be learned inside of a classroom. These lessons can hold as a very solid foundation for what you want out of your education. Often participants return from a gap year with a deeper understanding of what they want to do with their lives. As a result, they gain a stronger desire to learn in a classroom. It is also worth noting that there are gap programs that offer the potential for receiving college credit. Having a life changing experience while working towards a degree may be just too great of an opportunity to pass up.
5. …Or Don’t
School is not for everyone and that is okay. Sometimes there is a pressure to return to school immediately following a gap year. For some, this pressure is not easy to live up to. The transition back into a school setting can be strenuous and is something you may need to work up to. Be true to your instincts and find a way to make that work for you, regardless of the expectations that are placed upon you. A gap year is a unique experience. It makes you stand out in job interviews, and opens doors for many opportunities besides a traditional education.
6. Plan Your Next Adventure
This one is fun. Rather than spending your time wishing you were back on your gap year, create something new to look forward to. Literally, the world is waiting for you. It is easy to get lost in a daydream while exploring the possibilities. Take what you love and let that guide you. Also, this does not have to mean traveling the world. Find the adventure where you are. It’s there, but only if you’re willing to see it.
