Mind the Gap

 

Diploma in hand, satin gown gleaming, a bright grin from ear-to-ear, you feel like you've just conquered a four year ascent to the top of Everest. College graduation is a distinguished privilege and great accomplishment. But after the dust settles, there you are, your accomplishment has the potential to become your burden. Emotionally and financially. Many college students zip straight from cozy the halls of their high school to the slightly less insulated walls of a dorm room. Life on campus and the pursuit of higher learning is meant to blast open the young mind, fine tune the intellect and promote personal growth. For some of you, however, college may have been one big blur, an endless slew of keggers, sorority gatherings, and wild weekenders. And here you stand on stage, degree in hand, with a monumental hangover and a mountain of debt. 

After everything is said and done, there are a number of essential decisions that a college graduate is faced with. What now? How do I find a job? Where am I going to live? How am I going to pay all this debt off? What is my college degree worth? It can be overwhelming. So much so, that standing in one place seems like the best solution. Millions of college graduates, fraught with debt, move home after they've completed their degree, get a job flipping burgers, and admit defeat. There is a certain feeling of loss when you walk out those doors and into the world. A loss of community, and a loss of security. It's time to fly the coop and stand on your own two feet. You're a college graduate now. The world is your oyster. This should be an exciting time in your young life. A myriad of options lay at your feet, and it's up to you to choose one that best suits your needs and wants. 

In the UK, and Australia, university graduates often take a gap year before they head out into the real world. Your education doesn't end at the college gates. As you step out into the world, the real educational process begins. A gap year, or partial year abroad gives a college graduate the opportunity to make use of newly acquired skills, explore theories and ideas they've learned and help them to gain an awareness. As college students, we often get wrapped up in the drama of our own campus existence. The buzz of activity on campus shapes decisions we make, and perspectives we take on every day events. Travelling to another country, and experiencing cultures different than our own, offers a unique educational experience that college can't offer. If you're concerned about the financial burden a trip abroad can cause, apply for a working holiday visa and earn while you learn! Australia and the United Kingdom have fantastic working holiday programs, and their convenient geographical locales allow fabulous travel opportunities. 

If you're after something more adventurous, why not teach english in China, help build a schoolhouse in Uganda or conduct research on lions in Zambia? These may not all be paid gigs, but if you're careful with your pennies, can be an affordable way to experience new cultures, foods and belief systems. College is not an ending, but rather, the beginning of the rest of your life. Make every moment count.