Filling the gap year
Students benefit from a break to gain life experience, say Marc and Craig Kielburger.
Not all high school graduates know what they want to be when they grow up.
“Coming out of Grade 12 and already choosing what you’re going to do with your life? There wasn’t enough time to transition,” says student Ben Simon.
Simon enrolled in a science program at the University of British Columbia, far from his home in Calgary. But the deeper he delved into biochemistry and physics, the more he struggled. Stressed and uncertain, Simon took a break from school after his first year, to travel and work.
Half of Canadian high school graduates don’t start a postsecondary program right away, according to Statistics Canada. Others, like Simon, struggle as freshmen and change their path.
Parents often fear that a gap year will set their children back, stunting their education and career opportunities. But hitting the pause button to gain life experience before resuming studies can boost future prospects.
A year of reprieve means students enter university with sharper career goals. This selfassurance saves time and money that might have been spent changing programs mid-year, says one study out of Dalhousie University.
Gap-year students are eight per cent more likely to land a job after graduation, according to the Canadian Council of Learning.
Researchers at the University of London in the U.K. found that recruiters value the “soft skills” acquired during gap years, like communication and organization. We can corroborate that. When our team wades through the 2,400 resumes WE receives each year, we look for people with volunteer and work experience outside of their formal education.
We each took breaks as students. Marc volunteered at an AIDS hospice in Bangkok before university; Craig toured South Asia to research child labour, and other field trips outside of school. Time off introduced us to the global community and renewed our passion for our vocation.
But a stamp-filled passport isn’t a prerequisite for a productive gap year. Volunteer with an organization in your community or through programs such as Katimavik, which offers service experiences across Canada. In addition to beefing up your CV with valuable skills such as teamwork and time management, volunteering offers opportunities for networking and mentorship.
If you’re bold, try starting a small enterprise — something with low overhead like a home painting service or web design — to learn first-hand about budgets, marketing and customer service.
Colleges and universities can help you approach your gap year thoughtfully. A growing number of institutions now invest in programs to help students plan a meaningful study break.
Simon, now 21, travelled through Southeast Asia and worked as a lifeguard during his time off school. He also explored other subjects more informally, like psychology. Back at school, he’s shifting his science studies to include psychology electives.
Taking a break after high school or partway into university isn’t a failure to launch. Done right, it can be one of the most valuable parts of an education.