Gap Year: Invest in Your Future

It's perfectly okay to take a gap year. Our state board has recently declared the Class-12 results. As usual, the majority of students from the science stream will take a gap year to prepare for their medical or engineering entrance examinations. Students from the commerce stream might choose to pursue a BBA or B.Com, and the arts stream will face the dilemma of which majors to choose and which college/university to enroll in.

To them I just want to say, why not take a gap year? Many students in the West take gap year or years just to be sure whether they really want to continue with their further education or their calling is in something else. I must say, it's a good strategy. In that gap year, one can conduct good market research to determine which majors are in demand for the next ten years. Don't make impulsive decisions about your major subjects.  There are subjects already considered redundant or with little to no scope in the job market. Why risk your career because of an uninformed decision?

Moreover, during this gap year, it's highly encouraged to pursue a skill development certificate or diploma course. This allows students to earn through a side hustle while in college.The point I want to make is, don't rush. It's perfectly okay to take a gap year. However, the final decision is best made by you.

An Allegory on Conformity

There was a village inhabited by scrawny people. They often wondered, why they never put on weight?

Once, in their village came an obese girl. The villagers switched their gaze towards her, as if she was an alien. They gathered around her. Suddenly, someone from the crowd threw a stone at her. The others replicated the same. They killed the lady. After killing her, they burnt her body. But within few hours, they were filled with guilt. They cried for what they had done. They mourned for months. 

The following year, a cheerful man passed their village. His whistles attracted the attention of the village children, who then informed about the man to their parents. In no time, all the villagers circled around him. They started beating him up. He tried to escape but the might of the crowd overpowered him. He died a tragic death. Then the villagers begin to smile, laugh, sing and dance. From then on, they live happily ever after.