As a recent high school graduate, the most common question I receive is “Where are you going for university?” When asked, I give the most uncommon answer: “Oh, I’m not going to university this fall. I’m taking a gap year!”
When met with the initial shock of my answer I always give my explanations as to why, where, what, and how.
WHY?
In China specifically, gap years are not the norm. This is particularly due to the belief that it is a student’s “job” to study, and thus they must continue studying after each qualification. Therefore, it is only natural for people to assume that taking a gap year equals unsuccessful exams and/or university applications.
Because of this, when I said I wanted to take a gap year, many looked at me with pity in their eyes, thinking that I didn’t get a single offer or failed my exams. I am not trying to invalidate those who might need an extra year to reapply for some better outcomes, because taking a year to improve oneself is a symbol of strength, not weakness. As the adage goes, taking one step back might help you advance three steps forward. It’s a year of opportunities, discoveries, reconnecting with oneself, and growth.
So, why am I taking a gap year? Back when I entered the university application season (around Fall 2021), my family asked me if I wanted to take a gap year like my older sister. I said no and was wholeheartedly against the idea, because ever since I first watched a few movies set in universities, I had begun to fantasize about my future university life. With that dream so near, I didn’t want to delay it any further.
Another reason was that I couldn’t wait to dive into further studies. My fingers yearned to gloss over the pages of gargantuan textbooks while my nose was voracious for their smell. At the same time, I didn’t want to leave my younger sister during one of the most critical stages of her life: becoming a teenager. In the end, it’s a combination of responsibilities and a desire to complete the things I’ve always wanted to during my high school time but which I never had the chance to that propelled me to gap.
WHERE?
I would love to travel and write some travel journals. I would even utilize what I’ve learned in IB English A Literature HL about travel writing. Although I’ll most likely be in China for the majority of the year, I may travel outside of Beijing, depending on my plans.
WHAT & HOW?
After creating the Gap Year Plan when I finished the IBDP in May, I embarked immediately by signing up for my first boxing class. Now I train three times a week, and am full of energy and self-love. I then enrolled in the Lingoda Super Sprint for C1 German, and around mid-June I began my internship at Jingkids. Last summer I was a teen intern, writing numerous WeChat articles every week. However, I came back as an editor this year!
In university I will likely be studying modern languages along with philosophy. To aid my studies, I’ve enrolled in the Lingoda Super Sprint (which is also on my Gap Year Plan). The Super Sprint is two months of an hour of a Zoom language class every day. There are a bunch of rules trying to catch you out, but if you succeed and attend all classes, you get 100% cash back! Lastly, along with grinding through workbooks and continuing my 1150+ day Duolingo streak, I’m translating some of my poems into German. This is also a great practice for university, because translations are a big aspect to the modern languages course.
Last summer on Children’s Day, my sister and I published a collaborative poetry book titled Nectare (in honor of our “metamorphosis” into adulthood). This summer, I plan to publish my own poetry anthology on a very personal but important topic ‒ mental and physical health. I’m currently planning on publishing my poems first online via social media and a website blog, mainly because my aim is to raise awareness and spread the message. If the demand is there, then I’ll publish it traditionally and physically via a book format.
WHO SHOULD TAKE A GAP YEAR?
On social media, the notion of a gap year is usually romanticized. I’m guilty as charged, as I watched some gap year travel vlogs online. This is another factor behind why I want to start a blog/vlog: to show my gap year. But everyone’s experiences and reasons are different, so please don’t think of my year as “the” gap year. Instead, find and plan your own! So, who should take a gap year?
The most common reason to take a gap year is if you aren’t satisfied with your university applications or final exams, which is also the “norm” in China. However, after talking to some university friends and watching some gap year vlogs, I realized that that’s not the case for those abroad, who mainly gap to travel, intern, or work. For me it’s a combination of the latter, reconnecting with myself (mind, body, and soul), and wanting to spending more time with family.
If you’re interested in my journey, you can check out my social media accounts. I’ll also be starting a blog and vlog! Search for “Helenaslpom” to find all my social media accounts and blogs.
This article appeared in the jingkids 2022 Teen Takeover issue
