Photo from Silhouette Photo Archives

It’s the most wonderful time of the year – application season. For many in their final year of their undergraduate degree, this is a time for intense research, creating relationships with potential supervisors, beefing up résumés, and improving grades to meet academic requirements. It’s no wonder then that many students consider taking a break.

A gap year means something different to each person. It can mean a year off school to travel or to work and earn money or even to go back to school and take some classes out of interest that your degree may not have allowed time for.

For the majority of us students who did not take a gap year between finishing high school and entering university, we’ve been schooling non-stop since we were potty-trained. This amount of intense work and often prolonged stress is bound to take a toll on our mental health. Gap years may very well help students avoid academic burnout.

Beyond providing a well-deserved break, gap years host a myriad of positive benefits. They allow students to gain experiences that are beyond what the confines of the campus can offer. These experiences can then be used to supplement what was taught in the classroom to make student applicants stand out from the crowd.

Why the hesitation then to take a gap year? I have been told by friends that they fear the gap year because they fear they will enjoy it too much and as a consequence, lose any motivation to continue in academia. Graduate school is hard work. The same can be said for professional school and entering the workforce.

I argue that if you are truly secure in your goals, then you’ll see them through despite the promise of the gruelling work they require. If a year off school is enough to lose motivation in attaining a goal, that goal is likely not a reflection of your true desires.  

Ultimately, that is what a gap year is meant for. It’s the optimal time for self-reflection and to discover what you truly want from life – and that may not include the graduate program that you’re planning on enrolling in.

The fear that taking a year off school may be frowned upon by application and hiring boards is a valid fear but ultimately unfounded. Many schools recognize the value of time spent away from school. The University of British Columbia has the option to defer graduate studies for up to one year. Even Harvard University encourages students to defer their acceptance to the university and take the time to mature as a person. Taking a break after working to achieve an undergraduate degree no longer carries the stigma of weakness or laziness

Where I’ll be a year from now remains a mystery. I may be happily enrolled in graduate school or on route to some far-away destination. I’m planning for both, and others should too.

[thesil_related_posts_sc]Related Posts[/thesil_related_posts_sc]

By Jordan Graber

Winter break, along with the two additional reading weeks we have at Mac, are a big deal.

It is a good idea to catch up on schoolwork during the winter break, but it is also a good idea to take a step back and slow down. We tend to underestimate the pressures and obligations of being a student. The limited breaks we have in the semester are well deserved, so we should try to maximize them.

As we’re getting back into the swing of things this term, I realize how little time many of the students here at Mac received over the winter holidays to really take a break. Compared to many universities in Ontario, McMaster’s scheduled “break” was rather short for some, considering exams lasted until Dec. 21, and classes began for this semester on Jan. 4.

While this is somewhat due to the extra reading week that has been introduced in the fall semester, it still doesn’t seem right that while there are some who get to go home in early to mid-December, there are others who must stay until the very end. I have friends who wrote examinations at 7 p.m. on Dec. 21. Considering packing and travel time, this can cut the winter break rather short.

Of course, it is different for everyone based on program, year, courses and many other factors. However, I think that everyone should at least be rewarded a full two weeks of holidays to relax, recuperate and prepare for the rest of the academic year.

I’m sure everyone can agree that exam season is an extremely stressful time and for many people, including myself, going home is the light at the end of the tunnel.

We are in an age of stress and an epidemic of anxiety and depression. Post-secondary institutions around the globe are calling for services to combat mental health rises in college and university students. Students are overwhelmed by the homework and burdens that often come alongside a full course load.

A survey taken in early 2017, involving 15 universities from across Ontario, revealed that mental health budgets had increased 35 per cent, levels of anxiety, stress and depression in university students has increased over 45 per cent and calls to the Mental Health Helpline have increased by 344 per cent; all in the last five years.

There are issues involving students and mental health in modern day society, and no one knows exactly what is going on. We do know that something must be done, because young people deserve to receive the best care and education in their perspective years at university.

Reading weeks and the winter breaks give students the time and space to revamp mindsets and restore healthy mentalities that will carry them to the end of the year. Students are not learning machines, nor should they act as such.

A new, high-pressure environment like university is something that shouldn’t be taken lightly, because it can have detrimental effects on those who feel as though they cannot take the time to loosen up and remember that they are not expected to be super-students.

It’s understandable that academic years are tight, but when it comes to the well-being of its students. McMaster should try to ensure that each student gets the holiday that they deserve.

As for you students, make sure you take the time you need to keep yourself on track and in a good place this year. When there is constant work, it is much too easy to fall into a dark place. That is why these breaks are important; they give us all time to breathe.

Subscribe to our Mailing List

© 2024 The Silhouette. All Rights Reserved. McMaster University's Student Newspaper.
magnifiercrossmenu