The typical life pattern of a Filipino young adult goes like this: At ages five to eleven — we get into elementary. At ages twelve to sixteen — we step into high school. Add another two years, for senior high school. Come eighteen to twenty-two, we face college and move on to get a job.
In a fast-paced country such as the Philippines, with a culture that prioritizes physiological needs, safety needs, and social needs, our society’s emotional well-being and self-esteem are put behind the spotlight. We become completely blinded of these two facets of our lives which are tantamount in importance as our basic physical needs.
Influenced by traditions, we race into the typical life ladder laid to us by the Filipino society. The only difference from the previous generations is that we now have the choices, the resources, the technology, and the infinite possibilities we can tap as we climb up the ladder reaching for our goals. The problem however that most fail to recognize is this — as the possibilities go up, the pressure to achieve goes up as well.
Imagine keeping up a fast-paced life coupled with high expectations! We tend to follow suit to society’s norms even in how we handle our own lives. We make decisions in order to please others — may it be our friends, our parents, or even our communities not thinking if such decision is what’s best for us in the present and for the future ahead. That is why, there are a lot of millennials and centennials who feel quite lost — they embark on a journey they are not even sure of.
This is where, I believe gap year comes in.
A gap year is a pause — a year off in order for us to take a break and help us in our future endeavors. After thinking through about it and doing some research, I have been convinced that there are holistic, positive and life-changing benefits to the Filipino young adult in taking a purposeful and structured gap year after university. I will emphasize three R’s on why Filipino young adults should consider a gap year after university:
- Recharge. Taking a gap year helps you recharge. It is an opportunity to give yourself a breather from four to five years in college. It helps you transition from being a college student to being part of the working force. In a South-African based study by Melinda Coetzee, she concluded that, “..gap year has a positive influence on personal growth and the acquisition of life-skills, which leads to increased [career] maturity. During this process the participant is better equipped to make a career decision, which is an important aspect of career maturity.”
- Redefine. Taking a gap year is an opportunity to redefine your strengths and limitations. It is an opportunity to expand your perspective and bring insight in managing your life for the coming working years ahead. It is an opportunity to establish habits that give balanced attention to the different facets of your life. Taking gap year programs such as volunteer work, exchange programs or nothing more than your own structured gap year plan gives you an opportunity to mature and to gain independence while familiarizing yourself with how society works. In the same manner, it an also be an avenue to explore your other potential interests, if you’re not sure or convinced of what you wanna do for the rest of your career.
- Readjust. Taking a gap year can readjust you for your career. In a research done by Haiger and Nelson, their survey data supported the idea that gappers feel better prepared for their careers than had they not done gap year. It allowed them to refine their skills. Eighty-five percent of their survey respondents rated their gap year highly in terms of providing them additional skills and knowledge for their career. Also, it extended their connections and networks that added to their employment.
For many, a gap year is assumed to be all about travelling and thus, can seem like something that is for the privileged only, but it is not.
A gap year can be about yourself learning basic life skills, it can be about gaining various work experiences different from the field you are pursuing, it can be about immersing in communities. It can be something that makes you appreciate life more.
Enter a gap year with a clear plan and open mind and it can be a positive, life-changing experience.
