americansushi

hey y'all. i had always thought about taking a gap year to teach english in south america or doing something with public health, but my parents had always adamantly opposed it. it seemed impossible to take a gap year before college because my parents, who are asian and never went to college, were afraid that i might forgo my acceptance into college. so i agreed to attend yale in the fall.

flash forward a few months to today, july 13. i have spent a few weeks in korea for the first time in 12 years, which is the land of my ancestors (but i will always be an american at heart) and just came back from a trip to japan. i have seen human masterpieces in architecture, truly awing and vibrant murals of nature, and a spectrum of human behavior from the far east and in the west, because i took a trip to mexico in february. my desire to spend time in different places is undoubtable now, and i know that i will take some time off in the future to travel or work in the peace corps (at least to polish up my spanish or korean). the dilemma is that i don't know what to pursue in the future, may it be premed, public health, law, business, or even anthropology, and i truly believe that if i were to take a gap year between my frosh and soph years in college, i will discover the career path that fits me.

i would appreciate some advice from current yale students or graduates, or even parents or teachers. perhaps, in light of my recent adventures in the far east, i am unknowingly hoity-toity. but i have always wanted to spend some time around the world, i know i will do so after i graduate from yale. the question if whether i should take some time off after frosh year to "find myself."

gibby

A gap year occurs between your senior year of high school and your freshman year of college. See: What?s a Gap Year? | Yale College Admissions

If you take a year off during your four years of college, it's called a leave of absence. See: Leave of Absence, Withdrawal, and Readmission | Yale College.

My daughter took a leave of absence after her freshman year, as she was feeling burned out and didn't have a clue what she was going to choose for her major. Although I would have liked for her to travel, she stayed home, got a job and spent her time working as a waitress. The time off allowed her to think about what she really wanted to do with her life. So, yes, taking time off can be helpful. The downside though is that she now feels out-of-sync with her friends at college who are all a year ahead of her. Just like with all decisions, there are pluses and minuses to everything.