Did you guys take a gap year or no? Read below(need advice!!)

Question

Trying to decide if I should take a gap year. I’m on the fence rn. If you guys took a gap year did you like it? If you didnt take a gap year, did you regret it? 
Rn I want to travel and take time to figure out what I want to do but I have no money, no friends to do it with, and I’m stressed cuz this idea could easily crumble to pieces. 
I might be able to travel to Utah and love with my cousin who’s got an apartment there and attends college, but idk. First I got to graduate HS🙃. I’m worried if I take a gap year, I’ll lose motivation... idkkkkk ugh. I really don’t know what to do for college and my mental states been crap.. I’m soo stressed plz give advice!

Answer

I didn’t take a gap year because I knew I would probably never go back to school, my sister decided to take a gap year and that gap year turned into four. If your not sure what you want to do I would suggest going to a local community college or one near your cousin and get your general AA just so you have something under your belt and save up money to travel/ figure out what you want P.S you don’t need friends in order to travel, make your own memories!!

Answer

I also didn’t take a gap year because I knew that if I did I wouldn’t want to start again. I’m glad I didn’t take a gap year but I wish I hadn’t jumped into a bunch of courses I didn’t want to do all at once first term. My grades suffered for it, I dropped multiple classes, and I’m still recovering from that.

Answer

i didn't bc i couldn't justify it in regards to my OWN life plans (which a gap year is highly contingent on). 
my mentor actually discussed it w me, but made sure that if i ever seriously considered it, i would need concrete plans and stick to them. a lot of people take a gap year but either wing it or don't make backup plans, and basically end up winging it forever. and sometimes it makes them happy and in that case, it's great! but i didn't want to travel for no reason all the time and work odd jobs, so i decided not to.
another reason is i want to go into law, and wanted to get started as soon as possible. i won't be finished until i'm 25, and seeing as i'll get paid more depending on how much experience i have and it affects when i become a law firm partner... straight to uni it is LOL. i love to travel but i knew i didn't want to 1. be the oldest in my year 2. put my academic plans on hold.
i do get the feeling of wanderlust though, but managed to make my desires work. currently working part-time (25-35 hrs/wk between two nonprofits i LOVE) and taking 16-19 units/quarter. the nonprofits actually pay me to travel around the country, where i go to conferences and speak to community leaders AND get to work with high school students from low income communities and help them with uni/life/financial advice. rn i'm saving with my SO to take his mum to milan during the summer, while i've also been told i have business trips to hong kong and australia. 
i'm definitely not the rule, but it's just to show that i would honestly only recommend a gap year if you know for sure what you want to do during that gap year. esp bc unis will want to know what you did. but if it's just the travel aspect, there are a TON of jobs that will allow you to travel. if you're not sure, go to community college, or even trade school! you can get a versatile degree. i'm studying business for now in case i decide NOT to continue with law later down the line, bc i love learning about it and i knew that whichever career interested me, i could very easily apply my degree towards it.

Answer

To take a gap year you need to have a goal. If you don't you're most likely setting yourself up to failure. 
I unwillingly took one. In my country it takes up to 3 to 4 tries to get into med school (different system), some take more than that. In my first try I didn't pass but I knew that was what I wanted. Next year I made a schedule to study everything I needed for admission tests and divided my time helping my grandma take care of my sick grandfather. I tried again by the end of the year and got accepted.
Trace your goals. You're taking a gap year because of what? What do you want to do once the gap year is over? What are you going to do in your gap year? Going to live with your cousin who's a student isn't exactly a plan. Will you find a job or your cousin will be expected to support you financially? Does the cousin have the means to do that? Will you volunteer or do something that may enrich your curriculum for the next time you apply for college? What you want to go to college for?

Did you guys take a gap year or no? Read below(need advice!!)

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