Why Deferring College is Okay
By: Ian Mcdermod
Tags: Self Improvement, Decision Making, Personal Development, Education, College

Gaining real-life work skills

Your gap year is what you make it. That’s what makes it so worthwhile if you plan it out accordingly. For me, I didn’t quite feel ready for college directly after high school. I felt as if their was apart of the world that I was missing.

I knew that I wanted to continue my education, but I also knew that I wanted to dip my feet into the life of the workforce as well. Therefore I made a plan to use my gap year to work. Now this may not sound like the most enjoyable idea. In light of the recent economic situation, it may also prove difficult. Regardless, there are still places that are hiring, so it’s not entirely out of the question.

I worked a warehouse job, the same one that I had part-time throughout high school. What changed now was that I was a full-time employee. I had to get up 5 days a week, put in my 8 hours, and repeat every week until I was off to college.

Working full-time taught me many things. I had to learn discipline in setting a routine for myself that allowed flexibility to work early mornings or late into the evenings. My work schedule differed vastly then your typical day at school, and included even busier work during the summer time. Don’t get me wrong, school can be life consuming, but so was working a 9–5.

I didn’t stop at just one job though. I also picked up a part-time gig working as a casino dealer late Friday and Saturday nights. This gave me great insight into learning an entirely new skill set of handling cards and money, while also providing the crucially important life skill of interacting with other adults. Customer service experience like this is valuable in almost any field you plan to pursue.

Even though I had to work hard bouncing from one job to the next, I felt fulfilled from it all. My mind wasn’t the only thing fulfilled — so was my wallet! Since I lived at home, I was able to save a decent amount of money that I put forth towards my own hobbies, interests, and my future college education.

It’s not all hard work though…

I probably sound like an unhealthy workaholic during my gap year. Don’t worry, it wasn’t entirely like that.

As much as I did work, my schedule always allowed me two full days off. I took advantage of that by pursuing my own interests. This was a moment in my life were I really was able advance my passions in the outdoors even further. I did a lot of outdoor recreation activities such as hiking, camping, mountain biking, and even learning downhill skiing. It helped me solidify my interests, and reinforced the idea that I did want to go to college to pursue an education and career in the outdoor industry.

Many gap year students choose to travel abroad as well. I didn’t do the whole backpacking in Europe thing, but I did take a month off for a road trip in eastern Canada. As someone who grew up and traveled extensively in the Northeast of the United States, I wanted to explore new areas around me that seemed so foreign. I was able to visit New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, and many more places I would have never even seen unless I had taken my gap year.

Gros Morne National Park in Newfoundland Canada photo by the author

Traveling abroad may be at a standstill at the current moment, but this doesn’t mean that during your gap year you can’t pursue your hobbies, dreams, or interests. Maybe this is a good time to learn a language, take a fun online course, practice an instrument, write a memoir. The opportunities are endless and can be what you make them to be.

You may still be a little unsure about it…

And that is okay. The one silver lining to the Covid-19 pandemic is that we now have so much more time. Think about and weigh the benefits and cons of deferring your college enrollment.

On one final note, I remember members of my family being concerned on my decision to take a gap year. They worried I wouldn’t go back to school, and that I would be stuck in my job forever.

The key here is persistence. Even if you have family or friends who doubt your ultimate decision, the most important thing is to make a plan and stick to it. The one’s who do get stuck working a job they don’t like and putting off school, are the one’s who didn’t make that plan or have enough tenacity to go through with it.

At the end of the day, be proud of your decision and move forward confidently. If you stop and realize you may have made a mistake, the great thing about being a young college student is that you have plenty of years to make it right.