WHY I DECIDED TO TAKE A YEAR OFF AFTER GRADUATING FROM COLLEGE
In this fast-paced world, don't you just want to take a step back and just live in the moment? Do things you couldn't do? Discover new passions and skills? Learn something new? That is what I'm doing as of 2017! Taking a year off and just go with the flow.
Four months ago, just after graduation, I told myself that I would take atleast one or two months off. I needed it because I was feeling uninspired ever since the year kicked in. I even thought of joining my mom, who has recently retired from her work, in those two months as she travels the world to celebrate her retirement but she decided to save it for a later day. And I, after getting piled up with school work and real work over the years, just wanted to lay off of everything (I even left social media for almost two months) and just take a breather so I decided to do other things.
Many of you might think that taking a gap year after college is a daring move especially when job hunting has become a serious challenge as the years go by. You're probably thinking, "aren't you nervous that you might not find a job after this so-called rest?" and honestly, I am afraid that nobody might accept me but would you rather have me work right after and get lazy? If you are from Human Resources, you would immediately fire me for giving such a poor performance and that would stain my resume until the day I retire. Not good for the both of us, right?
Deciding to fully extend it until the end of the year, doesn't mean that I would lounge around in the house and not do anything. That is an improper way to take a gap year. I believe, as what I've mentioned earlier, that taking a gap year means that you can finally do the things you wish you could have done before like learning a new sport or a language, acquiring a new skill, or you can travel and learn about new cultures.
In light of this, here are 8 of the activities that I have done or currently doing that you can try out, too:
1. Get rid of your old stuff.
Getting rid of my old stuff was a combination of relief and a serious case of attachment. After all, how could you let go of the items you once loved? But like a past relationship, there comes a time when you have to move on (uyy hugot). I think, somewhere at the back of my head, I was itching to do this but I just couldn't because I was busy with school and every time summer break hits, I would just think to myself, "ay magagamit pa yan next year." then hide it and forget about it. Sometimes, because you forgot about it, you will buy a new one and this cycle goes on repeat like your favorite artist's new song until eventually, you realize you have tons of things and you have no idea what to do with it.
If you have big, old boxes lying around the house then now is the perfect time to make use of it! Set four boxes and label them with "sell", "donate", "keep", and "throw away". If you have siblings/younger cousins who goes to school or even your family members who might need a notepad or two, give your school/office supplies to them. If you also have old books that might help, ask them if they want it and if not? Donate them or throw them away. One man's trash is another one's treasure, or so they say.
Trust me, at the end of all this, you'd be amazed to see how much stuff went out the door (mine got replaced by my mom's stuff though lol). This is also the perfect opportunity to live the minimalist life you dreamed of having.
For those who needs a little push and motivation: 7 Tiny Steps for the Beginner Minimalist
2. Sell pre-loved clothes.
This is entirely optional but if you spent time clearing out your old stuff, why not include your clothes too? Try wearing a few pieces you're uncertain of and take a good look at yourself if you still need it or not and if you're having some trouble, ask your parents or friends what they think about it but trust me when I say that you should not take too long in deciding because you will probably think of a hundred reasons why you should keep it even though you need to give it away. If you have a timeless closet (meaning that no matter what season it is, it always fits the trend), then lucky you but for if you have a fast fashion closet, you'll mostly find yourself doing this every season.
Download an app (ex. Carousell) where you can just take snaps of your pre-loved clothing then sell/trade it online. If you are new to this sort of thing just like myself, the app is pretty simple to use and you can also opt to do meet-ups or just ship the item via Fastrack or Xend. Just make sure that if you will ship items that you include the shipping fee in your price!
Carousell is not just limited to pre-loved clothes, you can also sell pre-loved items (gadgets, furniture, appliances, etc.) or even brand new ones! You can even do trades if the seller permits it. Don't be scared that nobody might want to buy your items. At first, I thought nobody would take an interest in buying old clothes but I was surprised when people started to send me messages asking about the clothes on the very same day I posted them!
3. Help out local organizations.
Helping out has always been in my to-do list. I just wanted to do it when I had enough time and money so I could help raise awareness in conserving the environment, protect animals and even give scholarships to children so they can continue their studies. With almost a year worth of free time, I can finally squeeze in volunteer works in some of the local organizations that we have.
Our country has a lot of organizations, both well-known and not, from environmental to humanitarian. Find an organization that suits your visions and goals, reach out to them, and if you can't donate then why not try doing some volunteer work? Some might be too far away and if your parents are not allowing you, why not try asking your local community?
Become a volunteer today.
4. Try taking free online courses
I have recently enrolled myself in two online courses through Coursera. Coursera is a website/application that let's you take online courses from top instructors from the world's best universities (such as Ivy League schools like Harvard University and University of Pennsylvania and more). You can also take specialization classes where you'll be able to master a specific career skill or you can even earn a degree after one to three years! Most of the classes are free but if you want to earn a certificate at the end, you have to pay a certain amount depending on the class you're taking. What's great about the Coursera app is that it lets you download your content so you can use it without wifi connection so you can watch or listen to the lectures everywhere!
Initially, my plan was to take online courses related to Events Management so I can eventually (no pun intended lol) work my way into becoming a Certified Special Events Professional but unfortunately, they don't have free courses and it would cost me around 30 to 75,000 pesos to take the course so I am constantly on the lookout but while I am still *barely* trying to save money, I decided to use this time to learn about other topics that are not related to tourism or events.
Note: some classes have already started and will probably last about four to six weeks (most online courses) so before you enroll, make sure that you take a look at your schedule first and see if you can follow through.
5. Learn a new language
As I've mentioned in #4, I enrolled myself in two online courses. Coursera also offers language classes so I enrolled myself in a Basic Korean class which is offered by Yonsei University, one of South Korea's most pretigious universities. They also offer other languages such as Mandarin, Spanish, etc. from other schools so if you want to be a little extra on your resume, learning the basics now would be a good way to start! Also, they offer higher salaries if you can speak and understand other languages, especially Mandarin!
When taking language classes, I personally like having someone as a partner so I can practice the language. In school, we learned Mandarin and French and it helps a lot having someone so you can easily understand rather than just memorizing and forgetting it later (just like my French lol).
6. Find a new hobby.
When we're too busy doing the same things over and over again, we often find ourselves worn out from doing the same, old job every single day. If you're taking a gap year, why not try something new for a change? Try a new sport, learn how to paint, write a book... the list of activities goes on and on. As most workshops happen during the summer, depending on your interests, you can always search the web if they offer classes or workshops on regular days.
As for me, I am trying to steadily blog because I have attempted for so many times and I have constantly failed because I was too busy to update it. I might try pottery since I found a school in Quezon City but I will have to check if it is easily accessible (because I rely on Uber to take me to places I have not been to but now, thanks to LTFRB, I have to find a safe way for me to get to somewhere! Sorry for the short rant).
Just remember: It will happen if you want it to happen.
7. Do freelance jobs.
Taking a gap year means that it is also the best time to test out your skills without straining yourself. If you are unsure of joining the big corporate world then freelancing might be the answer. What's great about it is that you only have a few days or weeks to get the job done and see if you really have a knack for it.
Depending on your specialization, you can start by asking your friends or family if they need help with something that you can do or related to your field. Extend it further by asking their friends and family as well or you can opt sign up in websites that offers freelance jobs in the Philippines (or your home country).
8. Travel
Most international flights are expensive but hey, the Philippines has over 7,107 islands why not try visiting a few? I am twenty one years old and let me tell you, I can count the number of places I have been to and that is quite embarassing, honestly. Also! You can try subscribing to airlines so they will send you an e-mail whenever they have seat sales.
Fair warning: I am neither encouraging nor dissuading you to take a gap year. It will all depend on yourselves if you want to do it or not. I am just here to share with you what you can do if you are fully committed to taking a year off. I know that some people will feel more sluggish and there are some people who will feel refreshed, so think about it. If you don't know what to do, you can talk to your parents, relatives, and even your friends and ask their opinions about it then weigh in your options.
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Kamsahamnida! Have a great day!