04 May 2016

Separate from politics, Barak Obama and Michelle Obama are two respectable, incredibly well educated individuals. These very people also happen to support their daughter Malia’s decision to take a year off before she follows in their footsteps and studies at Harvard College next year. 

In 2015, America saw a 22% increase in high school leavers taking a gap year. Harvard College, one of the most prestigious institutions in the world, also encourages young people to take a gap year (take that Mum and Dad). The idea of taking a year off before further studies is becoming a more and more socially acceptable trend.

Heading straight into a trade or further studies has always been seen as the safe option, but with the versatility of job options, and the way that the current generation is hopping from job to job throughout their careers, there is no immediacy to getting ahead or getting settled. The most popular age to enter university is 20, which is at least one year after high school for most people. So reeaalllly, taking a gap year is already, statistically, the way to go.

But why take one (apart from the whole yay-now-I-can-chill-and-not-study-for-like-365-whole-days)?

Taking a gap year ensures you give yourself time to choose the right institution. A lot of your mates will jump into Uni, and you’ll get to hear first hand why it’s really awesome or really horrible. You’ll also have time to figure out exactly what you want to study–your friends will talk about their degrees and their subjects and you’ll start to become familiar with the range of subjects Uni offers that you never really knew about during high school.

So many people change their degrees halfway through university and I reckon if they held back for a year, had fun exploring the world and their own selves they might not have had to waste time in a degree they hate.

Taking a gap year helps you to achieve balance in your life. Figure out this newfound freedom, work for a bit, travel or volunteer! Focus on developing your character and a work ethic separate from the confines of a school schedule. When it comes time to enter another educational institution, it will be easier to balance work/study/social life.

Some people are ready for university straight away, others are not. One option is not better than the other–it really just comes down to what you want. Heck, you might just even bail on University entirely and that's okay!