Gap year after college graduation, should or shouldn't?

A gap year is a period of "pause" after a period of study or work with the aim of resting, discovering oneself, carrying out an unfinished plan, or learning new things. A gap year usually lasts from 6 months to 1 year.

Going to work is a lifelong thing so there is no need to rush.

After completing 4 years of university at the University of Economics and Law (Ho Chi Minh City National University), Ms. Le Tran My Ngoc (23 years old, Ho Chi Minh City) planned to take a gap year to travel and experience life.

According to Ms. Ngoc, the choice to work immediately or take a gap year after graduation depends entirely on each person's economic conditions, career goals, and future orientation.

"Personally, I don't care about having a job right after graduating. Instead of working, I want to spend time discovering myself. Besides the knowledge I learned at school, a rich life experience is also a foundation for me to be more stable in the future," said Ms. Ngoc.

According to her, working is a lifelong thing, we have 40, 50 years to work. So why not give yourself a short time to experience and try new things before that. Maybe when you see your friends gradually settling down, having a decent job while you are still wandering around, you will be a bit worried and pressured. But the most important thing is to determine your destination and believe in your choice. Gap year is not just for partying all day but must have a detailed plan to avoid waste.

Ms. Ngoc added that during her gap year, she will do part-time jobs to earn money to cover her living expenses.

"Although I don't have a job right away, I know I have to take care of myself and can't depend on my parents anymore. And if I want to go to many places and have many new experiences, I also need money and passive income sources to pay for it," Ngoc said.

Does gap year make knowledge gradually fade away?

In addition to financial reasons, many young people choose to work right after graduating because they are afraid of forgetting their knowledge.

"After finishing school, I basically grasped the professional knowledge of the industry, which can be applied in practice when working. Going to work early also helped me build a network of relationships with people in the same industry early. If you take a gap year, I think we should not completely give up knowledge. We can spend a little time reviewing, updating knowledge, trends or even taking extra classes to upgrade our existing knowledge", shared by Mr. Tran Viet Hung (25 years old, Da Nang City).

After graduating from university, many people choose a gap year to experience and upgrade themselves instead of going to work right away.

Mr. Hung said that any profession today requires constant updating of knowledge because of the high rate of elimination in the labor market. Especially jobs related to technology, engineering, machinery, etc., if knowledge is not used for a long time, it will certainly be lacking to some extent. Even those with many years of experience must constantly learn, so for young people, it is even more inevitable.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Bich Thuy (29 years old, Ho Chi Minh City) shared that if you look for a job right after graduation, you may only have to compete with your peers. But if you return after a gap year, you will also have to compete with the younger generations.

"Young people are getting better and better, some of them have just graduated but have a lot of work experience and social activities. They are also knowledgeable about technology, quick to respond to market changes, and meet the criteria of employers. Personally, I think we should not let our vacation last too long, just enough for ourselves to rest and recover, then go back to work to stabilize soon," said Ms. Thuy.

She added that when she was young, without the burden of family or children, she wanted to be "wholehearted" in her work.

"5 years after graduating, in my opinion, is the golden time for us to move quickly, getting closer to the goal of financial freedom. After settling down, I can take a gap year to rest, each person will have their own suitable time", Ms. Thuy said.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/gap-year-sau-khi-tot-nghiep-dai-hoc-nen-hay-khong-185240509153046656.htm