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Gap year
Former Member
Posts: 42 The answer to life, the universe, and everything
Hi everyone!
So i've been thinking of taking a gap year. The only issue for me would be the fact i would be older than everyone. My birthday is at the very start of the academic year so i stay the same age for the whole year instead of having my birthday during term time. But this would also mean that if i took a gap year i wouldn't start the year being 19 and turn 20, i would already be 20 and stay that for the entire 1st year.
I know it sounds a really stupid reason to doubt having a gap year. But i was wondering if anyone here either had similar experiences and how it went, or knew anyone who did the same thing in a similar situation.
Anything you have to say would be really appreciated
So i've been thinking of taking a gap year. The only issue for me would be the fact i would be older than everyone. My birthday is at the very start of the academic year so i stay the same age for the whole year instead of having my birthday during term time. But this would also mean that if i took a gap year i wouldn't start the year being 19 and turn 20, i would already be 20 and stay that for the entire 1st year.
I know it sounds a really stupid reason to doubt having a gap year. But i was wondering if anyone here either had similar experiences and how it went, or knew anyone who did the same thing in a similar situation.
Anything you have to say would be really appreciated
Post edited by JustV on
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I’ve not personally experienced this when I started uni, but I know loads of people who did a gap year or did a foundation year, so started a year or two later. Honestly it’s not an issue at all, people are different ages uni anyway. One of my friends was in her mid 30s in first year. I did a placement year so now I’m in my final year I’m a year older than most people and again no one really cares about what age people are.
I would not let age worry you, lots of people are different ages so don’t let that affect your decision in doing a gap year. I hope you figure it out xx
I understand that being older than others in your uni year can be daunting, but I think it's important to say that you most likely won't be the oldest there, people of all ages go to university and it's not as daunting as it appears, I went to university for the second time when I was 20 years old, and honestly, it wasn't a problem at all! There were people on my course that were 30 odd years old, so please don't let this deter you too much!
It's important to do what's best for you and your mental health and unlike school, there's not as much rigidity in terms of ages or capabilities.
Sending you love
I agree with what others have said. I've never actually been to uni myself but I know lots of people who are currently there or have been. From what I understand uni is a lot more flexible and everyone is a lot more mature and so age doesn't really matter. It's an optional continuation of education and all sorts of ages go there. In terms of social life, there are a lot of different scenes through which you can meet people that chances are, even if you didn't take a gap year you would be mixing / mingling with other age groups anyway.
I hope this helps
Hey
If you know, what's your plan for your gap year? Do you want to get work experience, travel, mental health break, volunteer etc? Reason I ask is that a lot of people take gap years, but a lot of them didn't actually need to and wasted the time - rather than consider what they wanted to do with their time, their main focus was getting out of education. A year is a long time, so make sure you use it well!
Thankyou, this is super helpful
At the moment the most prominent reason i would take a gap year is to give me time to really figure out what i would like to study at uni. I have applied to university for Psychology and now realise that was a mistake. Overall, i know there are other paths to still go to uni this year but i only have a general idea of what i would like to do. Plus, even if i were to try to apply i have such little wider reading, experience ext for other subjects because i focused all my time on psychology. I never reflected on if i really wanted it.
So i think i would spend the gap year trying to reflect on my academic interests in ways that i have not been able to do during sixth form so that when i do apply i am totally sure. Especially in an environment where there is not pressure to make decisions, i know my sixth form has been putting lots on people from the end of year 12 to know what they want to do.
I already have a part time job but i would most likely want to get a new different one (hopefully not as a waitress) to be able to save money and get more work experience. Or even some jobs within a museum or historical sector as my main thought at the moment is potentially history.
I would also love to do some travelling if able to. I have always wanted to go to Italy (plus Florence and the medici family have always been super interesting to me as well as the papacy) all of which could be super helpful towards figuring out if i want to do history and just fun as a whole.
I think overall, while the time off would be super helpful in finding out what parts of learning i love outside of the education system. It would also just be super nice to find things i enjoy outside of education too which would really help my mental health. I've found recently all A-Levels have been doing is stressing me out with what i want my future to look like, plus i have a really hard time not being up to speed with other people my age because i feel like i'm falling behind so being able to take things at my own pace would be super beneficial long term.
Sorry if this is a big weird monologue speech thingy, i've just never really written down the reasons i would want to have a gap year before. If you don't mind me asking do you think these are good plans to have?
I think taking time out to reflect upon what you really want to pursue academically is a more than valid reason to take a gap year! At the end of the day, you know you best, and it's always helpful to be doing something that you will really enjoy and love, over something you think you love but aren't necessarily that engaged in.
It sounds like you've really thought about what you want, and always remember, life changes from the hour to the day, so if you decide university isn't for you, that's more than fine too, you're important and your feelings and choices are always valid. You do what's best for you and what makes you happy. It can be hard when there's added pressure from school and the 'need' to have everything mapped out, but things change constantly, and nobody really has it figured out. You get to choose your own path, and that's amazing, I'm so proud of you for taking charge of this situation and not allowing your teachers to pressurise you into doing something your hearts not completely in. Also do remember that everyone is on their own journey and you can delay university for as long as you need, there's no set time for doing anything in life, with that added pressure off, it gives you so much more range
Remember to be kind and gentle with yourself, and you're the only one who knows what's best for you, and yours is the only opinion that matters when it comes to your life and choices.
Sending you so much love
Have you tried to write a pro's and con's lost? We would be more than happy to talk this through with you if you feel comfortable and want to. If you would like to, please could you start by telling us the reasons you would like a gap year and the things that put you off from having a gap year? Then you could weigh it up according to what is the most important to you.
Everyone makes different decisions and that is okay. I haven't personally had a gap year. However, I was always older in college and compared to the typical age of the undergraduate students. I had studied a temporary college course for a year due to ill health. This meant I wasn't 'on track' to finish at the same time as my peers.
I don't regret this because my health is better than ever and I couldn't be in a better position to study. It also turns out there is no typical age because I was mainly surrounded by mature learners in my undergraduate studies and I was in fact one of the youngest!
I hope this helps
That's okay, it's good to explore and think about why you want to take a gap year. On the one hand, a year is a long time, so you want to make sure you have a reason for doing so. On the other hand, a year well-spent won't hold you back much given you'll probably be working for 50 years, so it's good to consider. I spoke to a good friend of mine who's also in this position just the other day
It's good that you've applied for uni regardless - it's quite easy to defer your offer to next year if you'd like. A few of us that applied for gap year work placements also applied for uni, because we could defer the place if we got our work offer accepted. Who knows, maybe you even have a change of heart and like Psychology again!
I think a break for mental health is a good reason - university and the world of work are bit more of the same, so a gap year is a good opportunity to take a step back temporarily before launching back into education/work.
The work experience is also a great shout - I found it helps to give you some real-world experience and learn practical skills, while also getting some cash and building your CV a bit! If you really love your placement, you could even consider staying at the firm and becoming a permanent employee rather than going to university. It can feel unfamiliar, but quite a few friends of mine have gone down that path - they have no student debt, plenty of experience and are earning well for their age!
Travelling is also a popular reason to take a gap year. I'll assume Italy is one of a few places to go - though if Italy is the only place (or one of a couple of places) you want to visit, this is something you could very readily do during a university summer break too, and with uni friends too!
The academic interests reason is probably the most natural, but also the most difficult to get right. Lots of people apply for uni and have such a wide array of experiences that it's almost complete luck that determines whether you like your course/uni. Some people rave about a course that others will hate! I think the best way to go about this is first to think about your subjects and what you're good at and enjoyed. I'd also speak to the subject teachers that teach the subjects that you enjoy and good at, and consider how you might take those degrees forward in the future. I'd also get in touch with current students (online forums work well!) and see what their experience of a course is like. You might know people in your extended family or friend group that are at the university or course area that you're looking at, so worth trying to speak to them about it. I'm not sure how useful your gap year is for this specifically though.
Sorry for the long response, but that's just some of my insights. Hope some of it helps!x