Are you thinking about going back to school for a graduate degree? If you are, then you’re in the right place. Currently, I am a senior here at Rutgers-Camden majoring in Health Sciences with a double minor in Psychology and Leadership. My original plan after graduation was to go straight into graduate school for a doctorate in Physical Therapy. However, when looking at the costs, commitment, and other factors I began to realize entering graduate school right away might not be the best option for me. Some programs would cost over a hundred thousand dollars. How would I afford that or even pay for my living expenses? How would I balance a new rigorous curriculum without getting burnt out? My answer: a gap year.
At first, I did not want anything to do with a gap year. I heard many opinions on gap years like; “once you do one gap year, you’ll keep doing them,” or “you’ll lose all your studying habits”. I kept hearing how awful this one year really could be, but when looking into the gap year, I found many benefits. Here is a couple that I found for my situation:
1. SAVE money!!
This was the main reason why my gap year was necessary. No matter what program you look at, graduate school is always more expensive than undergraduate. Personally, it would cost over a hundred thousand dollars to get through three years of grad school. Yes, there are loans to help pay this amount, but what about living expenses? The majority of programs recommend not working due to the amount of schoolwork. Graduate school, essentially, is a full-time job if not more, depending on the program. This gap year enables me to save up for those living expenses for all three years, so I no longer have to worry about that.
2. Get real-world experience
Real-world experience is everything when it comes to getting into any field. For my program, it’s required for students to have a certain amount of shadowing hours, so students get experience before diving in. This gap year will allow me time to get a job in the PT world to learn more about the jargon and how PT clinics run. Everything is different when you are in an employee position, and you get to learn through hands-on experience that you do not always get when volunteering.
3. More time to improve on those GRE scores
I did not do too hot on my GRE. If you don’t know what this test is, it’s basically like the SAT but for applying to graduate school. The gap year gives me time to study more. I took this test twice, once in the summer and once in the fall. In the fall, I felt like I had no time to study for it because I had all my classes that I had to study for as well. Of course, in the gap year, I won’t have to worry about this. I will have as much time that I would need to properly study to improve my scores.
4. Recharge
Recharging is a factor to consider when looking at graduate schools. Like I mentioned before, graduate school is like a full-time job commitment plus more. Going straight into grad school would not give me any time to breathe or rest. My program would start in either May or August, so either I get a week or two or a month and a half long break. Neither of these options are enough. I need more time to make sure I am mentally ready to take on such a harsh curriculum. Therefore, this gap year gives me enough time to prepare for graduate school to ensure I will not burn out my first semester.
There are different reasons why a gap year may be beneficial for you because every situation is unique. However, a gap year is something to consider when considering graduate school. Wherever you go, and whatever you do, you’ll always be a Scarlet Raptor with all of Rutgers behind you to support! Good luck with all your future endeavors!