Why Taking a Gap Year Can Benefit Your Future Career?
Choosing the right college, deciding what to study as a career and finding a place to live for the next 4 to 5 years are not easy choices to make! Sometimes, we need more time and a novel experience, to help us take a step back and make decisions that are actually going to benefit us.
It’s true that not everybody is ready to go to college straight after high school, and that’s okay! Some of us need a break from studying, a change of scenery and more time to think things over and be sure of the direction we want to take. This is why a Gap Year can be a useful opportunity to make sure you are ready for the next step!
Motivation
A Gap Year is an excellent way to motivate yourself. After high school your motivation may have run out and so embarking on a Gap Year, to a new culture in a new place, may be the environment you need. Meeting a variety of people and seeing a new culture at first hand can motivate you to try new things, pick up another language, learn about different subjects and so on. If it’s motivation you are lacking, then a Gap Year could be the answer…
Knowing your likes and dislikes
You are still forming your identity and still working out what’s for you and what’s not for you. Traveling away from home to a different country can open your eyes to new opportunities and you’ll come to see exactly what you like and what you don’t like. Maybe you thought you wanted a career in one specific area, when actually you find yourself much more suited to another. Or maybe you originally thought you’d like to study near to home but after an experience away, you prefer the independence and the adventure of a new environment. A Gap Year can help you to get to know yourself better!
Independence
A big reason to do a Gap Year is to become more independent. If you’ve never been on your own, a Gap Year is a perfect chance to get out there and see the world from your own perspective! You will have the opportunity to challenge yourself by forming new friendships, being in new environments and dealing with unfamiliar situations. All of these will help you to grow individually and ultimately, make adult life a bit more manageable!
Cultural Awareness
More often than not, teenagers will go straight from high school to college without really delving into the real world. They may sit in a classroom at college and learn all about other countries, cultures, legal systems etc. without ever having ventured outside of the classroom. The great thing about a Gap Year is – you can see it for yourself! If you have always been interested in a specific culture, dreamed of traveling to a certain country or wanted to learn more about a foreign industry- here’s your chance!
It is a life experience as well as an academic experience, and you are sure to learn a lot about yourself too. The other great thing about studying abroad is that you will meet people from all walks of life. You can gain an international education, especially in a city like Valencia, which attracts students from all over Europe.
All in all, a Gap Year abroad is definitely worth it! You will make memories that will last a life time and it is sure to influence your future decisions, helping you to make them from your own individual perspective.
Take a look here to find out more about our Gap Year opportunities in Valencia.