Gap year. yay or nay?

[FahaD]

Take a break. Retake SATs. Work.

I'm a M10 candidate thinking of applying for fall of the same year

Should I take a gap year (apply in spring '11)? Would that look bad for uni? Explain!

[Abu]

I'm on a forced one now for all the wrong reasons, but anyway. If you don't have it planned out, it can be extremely boring and non-productive, which the uni won't ever like. And if you can, do something related to your chosen 'major' or course.

Another thing is, your brain might rust out, and all the stuff you learnt in IB would be kind of forgotten through out the year, which you must be careful about so that you don't lose the knowledge you gained in IB.

Unless you plan out a list of activities, and are financially capable to do so, don't take a Gap Year. And you're M10, you've a long time to decide, and I promise you that you will change your views on the matter.

[__inthemaking]

I wouldn't just because once you take a gap year, you tend to forget some of the things that you learned in grade 12..so you'll need to do tons of review before starting uni. It could also lead to being unmotivated where you don't really want to return if you're enjoying your time off. OR it could also lead to lots of boredom if you're just sitting at home all day while your friends are all at uni.

[lindieeluieee]

If you are one of those people who go study formation of glacial rocks in Tibet and challenge yourself in special ways in a gap year, it would look exceptional on your uni application. But if it's just to catch up on previous work, you'd make yourself look dumb.

If you don't feel like going on a survival endeavor, I recommend you don't take a gap year.

[powa2]

Universities would not care about matriculation if you admitted, you can have the option of do so. I think it's true that you might forget something but I think reviewing would mend any forgotten information. I would probably take a Gap year just to travel, I would try to go to all the exotic places and explore and enjoy life for one year after going through the grueling ordeal that is IB.

[Flippy]

I say YAY YAY YAY (as long as you're doing something worthwhile). I'm taking one! I'm going to take a Chinese language course in Tsinghua university (Beijing) in September for five months. After that, not so sure.

I'm taking a gap year because to be honest, I doubt I'll have the opportunity to do something like this for a while. After Tsinghua I may stay on, or go volunteer for some environmental work since I've always wanted to do something like that. Other than the fact that it will make you stand out when you apply to unis (especially if you're doing something interesting or unusual) it's a great experience to gain some independence in a setting of your choice. For instance, I live in Shanghai, but I'm going to university in the UK, and even though I have family in England I know when I move I'll have a hard time finding myself in such a new environment, all by myself. So, when I go to Beijing, I will be by myself, but I won't be so far from home...I think it'll help me adjust later on. (If that makes any sense).

So yeah, basically I think gap years are a great way to go. I am so excited for mine!!!

Of course, if you want to go on a gap year you'll have to do quite a bit of research into the things you want to do. You'd have to discuss things with your parents about funding, accomodation, etc etc.

Hope that helps!

[Tilia]

Where I live, it's very common to take a gap year to work or study some small courses. And seriously, do you really know what you want to do the rest of your life when you're nineteen? I think it can be better taking one year to think instead of rushing into something and then regretting it halfway through.

I intend to take a year to study German in Germany before I start to study something else.

[Vvi]

As long as you have a plan, why not? One of my classmates is going to El Salvador for a year to work for a humanitarian gaency (her dad has contacts there),and other classmates are taking 2-3 years off to complete their national army service.

But don't just say "Hey, I'll take a year off and see what happens". You need to have a job/plan. A lot of people dream of travelling for a year, but how many people realisticlaly have the money? Working for a year may give you the motivation to go to university, especially if you work in a field like tourism (as a waiter or cleaner, which are physically gruelling jobs).

[biochem]

Just take a lighter load for college.

I would say dont take Gap year. Many things that could go wrong. And even if u think you are at the end of your work, you will always find it can be more efficient. better.

Just take your light classes this year, however, you might find that the "weed out" courses for some of the professions you would like to do are impossible to avoid.

[Feist]

I think that gap years are an extremely personal choice, although some peoples' immediate reactions are "Oh..." It really depends on what you're taking the gap year for and what is most important to you. It's better if you have a solid schedule planned out because the last thing you want to happen is for the year to pass by and not accomplish anything. It's also good to fit in some time to learn and keep your brain working so that you'll be ready upon returning to University or whatever you plan to do.

I know people who have taken gap years and have progressed onto Ivy League schools so it appears that it's not as harmful as it's made out to be.

[Tania V]

I was having a conversation with a Chemistry teacher, and she was telling me about this amazing student she had 3 years ago, who got 41 in IB and didn't get to Imperial for Medicine, so she decided to take a gap year. It turned out to be the best decision she had ever made, because

1) her IB grades were tangible and not only predictions

2) she took some more A level classes

3) she got an interniship in a lab

In the end, she reapplied to Imperial and got in. So my impression is that if there is some substantial reason to take a gap year, go on and take it. I'm also thinking about taking a gap year to complete my music diploma, and I'm weighting all the pros and cons.

At the end of the day, it always depends on the individual case. Taking a gap year just to travel around the world on you daddy's money wouldn't be such a good idea, I think. But engaging in some interesting and profitable(intellectually) activity is a very different thing.

[Peachez]

i say its a 'nay' because for me, if i take a break from studying i think i will have difficulty getting back on track. i bet i would forget most things i learned.. but that again depends on whether i will get a job for that ga year and what job it will be. of course working at a fast food restaurant won't do me any good.

[bLub]

I think, a gap year may work well for some and not-so-well for others. It really depends on the individual! I've got a friend for example who just loooves studying and she couldn't do a day without hard work - she kinda "needs" uni, even though she doesn't quite know what do afterwards, i.e. what to become. I guess a gap year can be a good "break" and a time where you can try new things and maybe "find your way". But it may also be hard to get "back to studying" when you go to uni after that year. I personally really want to go to uni, but tbh, I just don't really know what to study and maybe it would be good to "take a year off" to do "all the things I've ever wanted to do but never found time to..." - well, as I know myself, I'll probably end up in uni next year anyway