Gap Year: Benefits and advan­tages

Change, reorientation and decisions that need to be made – after graduating from high school, many young adults are not sure which road to take next. They need time to think about future steps, to weigh out options and to decide which career path they would like to take. A year abroad often serves as a reasonable support.

The following blog gives an overview of the benefits of a gap year abroad.

Becoming aware of one’s own future

What do I want to do in the future? Who am I and what are my goals? A gap year gives you the chance to get to know yourself better and to become aware of where you want to go career-wise. Being away from your usual environment and your parents’ influence you can take over another perspective more easily, look at your personal wants more closely and come to some landmark conclusions.

If you finished school and already have a broad idea of what to do later on, a gap year might help you see things more clearly: An internship abroad is a great option to go to the roots of your interests and to find out if your aspired career path is actually the right choice for you – or if you should think about something else.

Developing personally after graduating from high school

Spending some time abroad has a sharpening effect on your personality: By moving to foreign places, getting to know new cultures and surely mastering some challenges, you become more self-confident, open-minded and independent. Therefore, a gap year helps you grow personally – something you will benefit from for the rest of your life.

Gaining knowledge and experience during your stay abroad

A stay abroad is an appropriate means of improving your foreign language skills. They are becoming increasingly important due to the continued globalisation of the world economy, and can be considered an essential qualification for many job roles.

If you work as a volunteer, do an internship or join educational courses during your stay abroad, you are furthermore exposed to new methods, tools or solutions which will probably benefit you later in your professional life.
Last but not least, a gap year always facilitates your cross-cultural competence – by dealing with another culture and different lifestyles in a deeper way, you learn how to take over new perspectives.

Making new friends and international relations

If you decide to take a gap year between high school and college you will meet lots of like-minded young adults. Especially when staying at a certain place for a longer period of time you will surely meet people who share your gap year experience and also get in touch with locals. That’s why you will probably look on lots of new and valuable friendships all over the world when returning home.

There are numerous reasons for taking a gap year. If you spend it in a reasonable way it is way more than a simple fill-in. Natucate enables you to spend a year abroad amidst stunning natural landscapes, to dedicate yourself to protecting and preserving endangered species and to gain valuable new knowledge. Just contact us – we help you experience your very own adventure abroad.