I know a lot of my high schoolmates who decided to take a break from school after we passed matric. They all had different reasons and some were bound to circumstances that didn’t allow them to further their studies.
Let’s look into what these other reasons could be and how one knows when to take a break from academics, in case you were thinking of it. Is it all worth it?
For most people, a gap year after matric is all about finding themselves and exploring what career path they would want to pursue in the future. According to Indeed, students take gap years after high school to explore personal goals, values, and experiences. This is believed to expose individuals to unconventional living styles and enable them to understand different worldviews and lifestyles.
The Chase publication states that taking a gap year between high school and college can help save money, reduce student loans, and discover new career paths. “Whether it’s community service, volunteer work, working full time, or taking some time to travel, all of these things can provide valuable life-shaping experiences. Building life experiences can really open your eyes to new things and help you develop more knowledge of the world around you, which can help you in the long run.”
Those with the responsibility to take care of themselves from a young age, often aim to finish high school and look for work immediately for maybe a year or two.
These types of youngsters might decide at a later stage to go back to school after they have accumulated enough money for admission and varsity maintenance.
Also see: Back to school, back to reality
