Praneeth Franklin graduated from school with the dream of becoming a pilot, but a few years into studying, he felt it was taking too long and decided to take a break to discover himself. Turns out, the two years gap did him a lot of good. He found out he was good at art, dabbled in aviation photography and now, at 23, he's just started his job as an animation artist.
Another case is that of Priyankar Kole's. He had finished his 12th grade IB exams and had planned to pursue his studies abroad. However, in addition to not being able to make the cutoff, he became too late for the application to other colleges in India. This resulted in him having to take a year off, during which time he took a paid internship of five months. Now, he is in his second year of BA, studying Journalism and Mass Communication.
While the concept of a gap year, whether forced or otherwise, is still relatively new in India, it has been around for a while in the West. In fact, taking a breather from the educational cycle has been a Western concept.
Origin of the concept
It originated in the decade following the Second World War, when youth travel and cultural exchange was thought to be a useful tool to create global understanding and prevent further wars. The concept has been a success in the US, where gap fairs, similar to college fairs, are organised every year.
In the Indian Context
In India, this concept has not yet gone down well. Is it because they are afraid to veer away from the norm? Is the mainstream the guaranteed and safe way to ensure that nothing goes wrong?
Well, despite the fears, there are a lot of students who are either planning on taking a break, or wishing they could have when they had the chance.
Kunal Singh, a first year BE student says, "I wanted to be a zoologist, but though I missed out on the chance to take up Biology, I just continued with science and took up engineering as everyone told me it was the sensible thing to do. In retrospect, I wish I could have taken some time off to figure out my other options; maybe travelled a little because after all, nobody knows what I am capable of better than me."
The advantages
A gap year gives is a chance for you to reflect on life, experience new things, learn a new skill, and explore your options. You will be better equipped to take an informed choice once you have seen more, rather than following the herd and writing one exam after another, going from school to college to your job.
And don't think its just for the rich people. Contrary to common beliefs, a gap year can be surprisingly light on your pocket if you plan it out. There are several organisations who are willing to pay for your year off while you work with them. Moreover, money isn't everything.
As Praneeth puts it, "While I was in aviation photography, I wasn't paid but it helped to get my name out as an artist. Its the experience that counts. At the same time, I wouldn't advise everyone to try it. It is a subjective concept; what worked out for me may be the ruin of someone else."
Elaborating on the advantages of a gap year, Sanjeeb Paul, academic head at Career Launcher India Ltd, says "Generally, the trend of taking a gap year isn't a popular idea in India, as the mindset of the people is not quite there yet. However, it is a good concept to discover yourself, explore your options and make informed decisions based on the experience. Nevertheless, I don't think students just out of school should try it as they may not be mature enough and may while away the time."
Prerequisites
One of the essentials before taking a gap year is to figure out if you are willing to do something useful with it. Time wasted would be much worse than not taking a break at all.
As of now, people don't always look at your gap year with mercy. So you need to go the extra mile and ensure it is converted into success.
Also, in any interview committee you face, people will always question your decision, so you need to be mentally prepared to face that and justify the time you took off.