Pretoria - Taking a gap year after matric is an option many Grade 12s mull over as they decide whether to apply for university courses or decide about their future.
University drop-out rates are so high that only about 15 percent of undergraduates finish university within the set time.
“Taking a gap year can prove quite advantageous to students, if it is done correctly,” said Saffiya Nagdee, an educational psychologist at Tshwane University of Technology’s Pretoria campus.
“Students should spend that time job-shadowing or doing research on the careers they are interested in.
“The gap year option is not necessarily recommended for all students. Some know what they want to study, but others may need time to decide what works for them”.
These sentiments were echoed by 18-year-old Andrea le Goabe who decided to take a gap year this year after passing matric last year.
“I decided to take a year off because I felt I wasn’t ready to continue with my studies.
“I wanted a life away from learning to see what the work environment would be like,” said the Pretoria High School for Girls matriculant who has spent this year working as a cashier and waitress at a restaurant.
“I also applied for the Rotary Youth Exchange programme early this year so I will be going to Brazil in December to learn about the country’s cultural practices and norms before commencing studies next year,” she said.
Le Goabe’s decision to take a gap year was supported and encouraged by her family.
According to Nagdee, the usual challenges that individuals face when they decide on a gap year are of a socio-conventional nature.
These challenges include the expectation that one should be at varsity by a certain age as well as graduate within a certain time period.
These considerations influenced first-year Bachelor of Education student Jonathan Leung’s decision to study immediately after school at the University of Pretoria.
“My parents were against me taking a gap year and none of my peers had made the decision to take a year off, so I didn’t want to be the odd one out”.
Leung concedes that a gap year would probably have prepared him for all the changes that come with varsity.
He, however, doesn’t regret his decision because he might have found it difficult to resume studying after a year-long break.
This is common, according to Nagdee: “If one decides to work during their gap year, they may find it difficult to study after getting used to earning their own money, which in turn, makes full-time studying unattractive.”
The gap year option has however become increasingly popular despite this.
STA Travel’s work abroad and gap year packages have become so popular among students that the company has had to create a department specially dedicated to dealing with students taking a gap year.
This is according to Marischen Glutz, assistant branch manager at STA Travel’s Menlyn branch, a travel agency popular among those deciding to take gap years.
STA Travel offers a wide array of opportunities to work abroad, some which only require a matric certificate.
These include au pairing in Europe and the chance to teach English in Asia.
Pretoria News