What’s there to do in a gap year? Plenty, depending on the kind of person you are, and perhaps the kind of person you want to be. Here are 8 suggestions, most of which can be life-defining experiences if you put your time to it.
1. Travelling
Travelling has always become a common reason for taking a gap year. Students want to see the world, experience poverty, different cultures and social behavior. That’s an excellent way to start adult life, as getting trapped in a city of jobs, salaries, fast cars and corporate ladder often narrows one’s thinking. If you’ve ever considered backpacking before, this is a good time to make a run for it.
2. Performing Charity Work
The Buddhists have a saying about Karma, “You reap what you sow”. While Karma probably shouldn’t be the main motivation behind taking a gap year, performing charity work can help you understand better about the intricate relationships of life and society. If you’ve ever done any social work before, you’ll figure that washing dirty toilets and delivering meals to grumpy (sometimes even rude) old people aren’t exactly the most enjoyable things to do, but that’s where you also discover a new world of social experiences.
3. Work a part time or full time job
Why would you take a year off to work for $7/hr when you can just graduate sooner and start drawing a good salary? That’s because it isn’t actually about the money. Working nets you a ton of social contacts, and probably matures you faster as you get to witness first hand, the different walks of life. The whole idea here is try jobs you probably won’t ever have a chance to do again, so feel free to go for positions like croupiers, waiters, drivers or whatever you find personally satisfying.
4. Learn a Game and Become Good at it
Playing games is always fun, especially if it’s competitive and you’re aiming to become good. Although the idea might sound a little degenerate to some, learning to win at a game competitively can reap immense benefits in terms of character development. You learn the concept of studying situations, problem solving, discipline in training, curiosity in learning and desiring to improve and excel. Most importantly, you learn how to deal with setups and losing. All of these can go a long way in strengthening you mentally.
5. Pick Up a New Skill
Ever wanted to play the piano but never had the luxury of time to really try it? Now you do. There are vast arrays of skills for you to choose from, be it an artistic inclination like painting, drawing or designing, to something more practical such as electrician or DIY skills. Don’t be surprised if your passion gets converted into a career. TIP: Use Skillshare to learn anything you want to know, right from the web!
6. Start a Business
Entrepreneurship works best when you are young, as opposed to when you are 35 years old, as some would suggest. Although you WILL lack the necessary contacts, money handling experience and even man management to succeed big time, it’s a good time for your youth and energy to deliver to you those very same ingredients. Choose a small business setup that requires low capital (eBay, fashion blogshops etc) and which you have some knowledge or expertise in, and you have an adventure ahead of you.
7. Master a Sport
Similar to learning new skills and mastering games, except that it’s obviously much tougher physically. If you never liked playing games or grew up a sports enthusiast, this is a good chance in life to further that passion. Bear in mind that competitive sports doesn’t necessarily limit you to ball or racket games, so feel free to go for that bodybuilding program you’ve always wanted.
8. Write a Blog or Book About your Lifestyle
Self-discovery is a lifelong thing, but at 18 to 24, this is where your thoughts run wild on the plains. Document your intricate thoughts, about your observations, philosophy or just your daily life. Don’t get the wrong idea, you’re not actually writing this to sell it. The main reason you should be doing this is to leave a little philosophical legacy of yourself. Besides, it’s a great way to practice your writing skills.
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