Woman Who Took A Gap Year Says She Feels Embarrassed Returning To College, People Respond With Their Late-Life College Experiences
Every one of us goes through life one major milestone at a time. Slowly, but surely, we transition from early childhood to the teen years, then become young adults, go to school graduations, change jobs, get married, have kids, and so on. All the way through to retirement (or even beyond), one milestone at a time.
One of the most significant transitions is the one from high school to college or university. This is when we have to make the final decision about what we want to do in life—and it’s an important one.
So, it should come as no surprise that some decide to take a gap year—a period of time to be used for reflecting upon this life decision. Despite some being of the opinion that it is deliberate self-hindrance, forcing ourselves to fall behind others, consequently encouraging a stigma around it, it was actually proven to be an effective way of figuring things out.
CeeDanyell tweeted about her difficulties with returning to college after some gap years
Image credits: CeeDanyell
Twitter user CeeDanyell posted about how she’s embarrassed to be going back to college after having spent some time away from it all. She said that the people she graduated high school with were near graduating college at that point, while she’ll only going to be a sophomore.
This is one of those moments where that nasty stigma I told you about took the forefront.
Got a surprising response of support from another Tweeter
Image credits: Meck0
However, another user by the tag of Meck0 came to the rescue and shared his experience with the gap year. And how it’s not the end of the world.
He explained that he took an 8-year hiatus. It was such a long time that the guy he had tutored before he left was now his professor when he returned. Moreover, during a casual conversation, he found out that the professor had visa issues and had spent 15 years getting a 5-year degree.
He concluded by saying that things like graduation and whatnot don’t have a determined deadline and that everyone has their own pace. And that is OK: “Just run your race love; the finish line don’t have an expiration date.”
And soon many others jumped in sharing their own experience
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This wholesome exchange of tweets went viral and a number of other Internauts jumped in to share their own stories of how taking a gap year turned out alright in the end, if not much better than having no gap year at all.
Despite some saying gap years are counter-productive, studies show positive personal outcomes among gappers
Image credits: Gap Year Association National Alumni Survey
According to the Gap Year Association National Alumni Survey, a staggering 81% of all survey participants said they were very likely to recommend taking a gap year to someone considering it.
The survey went on to explain that the main reasons for taking a year off were to gain life experiences and experience personal growth (92%); to travel, see the world, and experience other cultures (85%); and to take a break from the traditional academic track (81%)—all considered reasons that enrich the person.
This, in turn, allowed the respondents to develop more as a person, increase in maturity, gain greater self-confidence, and get to know people and places around the world.
Here is how the rest of the internet cheered Cee on
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This story also received a lot of support from the Reddit community
I'm 51 years old and a college sophomore. Most of my professors are younger than I am. I'm old enough to be the other students' mother but I have life and career experience that puts me way ahead of the game in many ways. #nevertoolate
I'll be 51 this Summer, when I take my last class for this master's degree program. I am the oldest person in every class, save for the instructor.
Load More Replies...Oddly enough that feeling is way worse if you only miss a few years and your peers are still in the same school. If you are middle aged and you go back you are so far removed, and it's obvious you have real-world experience so you're not looked down on and you don't feel so awkward because the separation is more clearly defined. Plus being an adult and having adult money makes it so much better. Skip that starving student phase.
I went to university immediately after high school. I hated it but felt compelled to finish my degree since I really didn't have an idea of what else to do with my life. Only after did I travel and learn more about myself. Then in my thirties, after years of office work, I quit my job and went to flight school. Personally, I wouldn't have had the skills or personal growth to do that right out of high school. Now I have a career and a job I love as a pilot.
I have a friend I went to college with. He did a degree in education, got a teaching certificate and started teaching high school. Hated it. Quit and went to do menial work for a few years. Decided to go back to school for psychology (in our state, you can get licensed as a therapist with a Masters). The first professor in psych he had was one of his high school students.
I didn't go to college until I was 30 and graduated four years later with a BS in Business Management. I'm glad I waited. I took it more seriously and was able to apply my work experience to my studies and vice versa. If I had to do it all over again I would make the same choice.
When I was in college there as a woman in her 80s who was in a few on my English classes. We all thought she was so awesome for pursuing her degree even at her age :)
Oh, this is really cool. It's nice when people talk about things that are hard for them. Even though I can't necessarily relate, it's important that people are able to discuss their differences and problems.
I'm 53 and I finally decided what I wanted to do when I "grow up", and do something I would love. I am going to be a dog trainer and help match the pups with veterans who are struggling with specifically PTSD and other mental illnesses. These are things that are close to my heart and my life.
I'm 51 years old and a college sophomore. Most of my professors are younger than I am. I'm old enough to be the other students' mother but I have life and career experience that puts me way ahead of the game in many ways. #nevertoolate
I'll be 51 this Summer, when I take my last class for this master's degree program. I am the oldest person in every class, save for the instructor.
Load More Replies...Oddly enough that feeling is way worse if you only miss a few years and your peers are still in the same school. If you are middle aged and you go back you are so far removed, and it's obvious you have real-world experience so you're not looked down on and you don't feel so awkward because the separation is more clearly defined. Plus being an adult and having adult money makes it so much better. Skip that starving student phase.
I went to university immediately after high school. I hated it but felt compelled to finish my degree since I really didn't have an idea of what else to do with my life. Only after did I travel and learn more about myself. Then in my thirties, after years of office work, I quit my job and went to flight school. Personally, I wouldn't have had the skills or personal growth to do that right out of high school. Now I have a career and a job I love as a pilot.
I have a friend I went to college with. He did a degree in education, got a teaching certificate and started teaching high school. Hated it. Quit and went to do menial work for a few years. Decided to go back to school for psychology (in our state, you can get licensed as a therapist with a Masters). The first professor in psych he had was one of his high school students.
I didn't go to college until I was 30 and graduated four years later with a BS in Business Management. I'm glad I waited. I took it more seriously and was able to apply my work experience to my studies and vice versa. If I had to do it all over again I would make the same choice.
When I was in college there as a woman in her 80s who was in a few on my English classes. We all thought she was so awesome for pursuing her degree even at her age :)
Oh, this is really cool. It's nice when people talk about things that are hard for them. Even though I can't necessarily relate, it's important that people are able to discuss their differences and problems.
I'm 53 and I finally decided what I wanted to do when I "grow up", and do something I would love. I am going to be a dog trainer and help match the pups with veterans who are struggling with specifically PTSD and other mental illnesses. These are things that are close to my heart and my life.
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