Just Gapping It

by Lauren Roodt
I was not the typical first year student from the word go. I did not want independence, I did not crave the rush of drinking copious amounts of fermented potato (vodka). I did not want to leave the safety of my cocoon and most certainly, unlike my crew, I did not like the idea of not knowing where I was going.

When I finished Matric in 2006 I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. My ideas metamorphosed as swiftly as the Croton life-form as I dabbled with a bit with the idea of interior design, which swiftly transformed into advertising which then morphed into forensic science. This developed into science journalism and then back to the creative stance with communication design. Truth be told - I still have no idea what I want to be.

That said, I am one step closer to knowing than my counterparts. I remember the drop in spirit that I felt each time somebody asked me what I was going to do after school. The way their faces crinkled when I told them that I was taking a gap year said it all. They all expected me to have an impressive plan and yet I had no idea. I thought that I would get extra credit for having the courage to admit that I wasn't going to university but all I got were wide eyes and fake smiles.

If I could give all teenagers a hefty dose of reality before they left school I would. The real limits of the outer world. University. Work. They are all so different to those sheltered school days where mom still packed your lunch and dad was always there to help out with physics. Life only becomes real when you walk out of the coil of education for the last time and into the general stream of adult life. My gap year taught me the pleasure of working (hard) for your money, it taught me how to deal with all sorts of life forms who I would generally choose to avoid. A gap year builds one's character and gives serious life lessons which most people only stumble upon when they are in the situation where mistakes should not, be made.

Not only did my gap year teach me priceless life lessons but it also boosted my confidence. It taught me to stick by my guns and to investigate all possible routes. Another friend of mine took a gap year and found the same. She came out of her shell and developed skills far beyond her expectations as she battled giants and squashed those preventing her way.

Before approaching the univeristy atmosphere I advise you to consider a gap year. But only if you are sure that you are going to do something with it. A mission without a path is a dangerous as an earthling under the influence of alcohol. I took me a while to find a job and enrol in part time courses and I would have benefited much more if my route had been mapped before the trip. So many people have negative thoughts about the gap year because too many take it as a chance to squat for a year with the parents. But the lessons I have learned and the skills which I have developed have been invaluable during my first year at university. Do not rush to varsity to impress your peers. Think carefully, if you are unsure about what to study, take a gap year. It won't be a waste of time.

Gap year or not, first year will still be a challenge but the skills you will learn from an active gap year will help you to survive just a little more during your great journey.