Five reasons you should take a gap year

Taking a gap year is for many, a rite of passage. It doesn’t mean you’re lazy or skipping out on reality. It’s your opportunity to live life to the very fullest and to see the world.

If you’re unsure if a gap year is right for you, we’ve put together five reasons you should do it.

You’ll perform better in education

Some think that taking a year out can harm their chances of getting into higher education, but in reality, the opposite is true. Some schools have reported that gap year students often perform better, and are much more involved in extracurricular activities.

When else will you have the chance?

Once you’re out of education you’ll have to look at supporting yourself, which means diving headlong into your career. Never again will you have the freedom of time that you have in your early 20s or teen years. So now really is the best time to travel for you.

It’s a great conversation starter

Rather than having the mundane ‘where are you from?’ or ‘why did you choose to come here?’ conversations, you’ll be armed with brilliant stories from your year of travelling. Making friends will be so much easier if you have some wonderful anecdotes about your time in Johannesburg!

It’s a great resume filler

During your travels you’ll find that you stay in some spots longer than others. So long in fact, that you may have to get a part time job to pay your way. This is great for the resume. It shows you can work successfully amongst other cultures, plus, if you travel cheap, you may be able to save some of your earnings.

You’ll make friends from around the world

One of the best reasons to travel, besides seeing the world, is that you’ll meet so many new people. By the time you return you may have a friend in Italy, one in South Africa, another in America, and so on. It also means you’ll have a place to stay should you ever visit!

Taking a gap year will change your life for the better. So start your journey today!