You decided you had enough of college. You’re done. You’re over it……. At least for now. What you really decided is that you need a break! 

The classical, sometimes very needed, break from pursuing academics is called a “Gap Year” As the name suggests, it is usually a year long. Don’t be so down, it is fine if you take more than a year. Education is not a race. Education is an everyday process that comes in a variety of ways. This break can be a spontaneous and versatile experience. You never know what could happen.

If your mind is set on returning to school, there are ways to make your break benefit your personal, professional, and academic life.

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During your break, you’ll have tons of free time. This means you’ll have more time to try new things. Never hesitate to discover a new interest or opportunity. Involve yourself in “outside” activities. These activities could mean volunteering, picking up a new hobby, joining a community group, learning a language, or being more involved in a current hobby. Nurturing your talents is the best way to improve your confidence in performing them.

With today’s connected society, it’s not difficult to find ways to be involved. Use the internet to search for local community groups, or volunteer opportunities. Non-profit organizations look for help often. You can also find online forums or online groups to join. The old fashion way of verbally asking around still works as well.

And, with all the new activities you’ll be involved in, you can’t forget about yourself. The Gap Year is a good time to work on self-development. Your personal growth can under-go large transformations. You can take time to improve old habits. Tackling fears, such as stage fright or social awkwardness, are one more thing to add to the list. You want to take your time with these kinds of activities. Take each moment step by step. However, don’t forget you need to push yourself outside your comfort zone. Take a few leaps when you find the courage to do so. Trust yourself!

Self-development does not only focus on old habits and conquering fears. Self-development can also be counted as taking a trip somewhere or saving money. Make the most of what you have to enjoy life. Anything that will work towards developing your growth. Your growth could occur in emotional, physical, economic, spiritual, and other similar aspects. Make sure you take time to record the moments you create. Take pictures, vlog, write journal entries, or however you’d like to preserve that moment in time.

All of these activities impact your re-enrollment to school. After working on yourself, you will have gained more skills and more experience. The bonus is that you can share your new skills and experience. When you re-enroll to school, you can talk about these new experiences. It may also be a good idea to add new volunteer work or new hobbies to your resume. This shows people you’ve been active in your own life. Being a proactive engager is appealing for many reasons. Good attributes that come to mind when thinking of an active Gap Year are passionate, self-motivated, and dependable.

At the end of your Gap Year you should look back and realize that you have done something to improve yourself. Don’t let time slip you by! Continue to live your life.