Yes, I said it, don't excommunicate me. I just felt this was befitting, considering that start of a whole new semester of higher learning.”
Now, I'm not saying don't go into medicine... We still need doctors in the world. I'm saying it's okay if you don't get into medical school... yet.
There exists this almost suffocating pressure to finish a bachelors degree and jump right into a master's or doctorates. Since you first begin college, you've entered a game against the clock. You need to finish this many credits by this year, have your internship by this year, applications in by this time and the idea of not getting accepted is like a boulder on the edge of a cliff waiting to crush you. But, I'd like to toy with the idea of a gap year.
What's the worst thing that can happen if you take a year off? You have to start practicing a year later (*chills down spine*)? A year later, yes but hopefully with a greater outlook on life and more experience under your belt. The reality of school to work life is essentially, you leave school then start your career and nothing will ever be the same. You won't get the chance to take time off to just explore your passions without excessive worry about what'll happen!
But maybe you don't know what you would want to do during a gap year. That's fine! Explore you possibilities. Travel if you can, read, pair up with a really cool organization, fight for a great cause, gain more experience pertaining to your career, write, cook, eat, take classes you actually ENJOY.
But don't be afraid and don't be ashamed. School is not an inherently transformative experience, so you don't have to worry too much about missing self-growth if you're not in class for a year.
Whether you take a deliberate gap year, or are forced to take one because of not getting into your choice school, I promise, it's not a death sentence. Steal back the time you won't be seeing for a long time after and enjoy it.
H.Al
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