What comes after the A-Levels? Many of us would instinctively answer, university. But it doesn’t have to be so. In fact, some students choose to take a gap year before furthering their education. Recently, I had the privilege to connect with three inspiring students who have walked this path. Hopefully, their stories will give you some insight and inspiration, as you contemplate your own journey ahead.
E took a gap year in 2019/2020, and is currently in her first year of university. Kate and A are both current gap year students (in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic!), and share their experiences thus far.
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Why did you take a gap year?
E: I wasn’t really sure what I was interested to pursue in university, so I needed the extra time to go try new stuff before making the decision. I mean besides that I thought that it would be nice to take a break from studying and explore what I enjoy doing.
K: It was actually unplanned! I’d enrolled in a US college but then COVID-19 hit. My school didn’t allow me to defer, and I didn’t want to pay $60k a year to take online lessons from Singapore… so I decided to give up my spot and take a gap year instead.
A: I was supposed to go overseas to study, but my scholarship agency didn’t allow us to fly over due to COVID concerns. I didn’t want to start university remotely from Singapore because I felt that the entire reason why an overseas education would ever be worth the money (or the bond, in my case) is the experience there, and not so much the academics aspect. I think studying remotely would defeat that purpose — we wouldn’t be able to experience a real university life, participate in clubs as easily, meet new people and bounce ideas off each other, etc. Furthermore, I wouldn’t enjoy remote learning anyway (due to the time difference, and it would be quite lonely studying remotely!).
My decision to take a gap year was very last minute (I deferred my admissions less than a week before orientation started, which is two weeks before school started) and I didn’t have anything concrete that I wanted to achieve in my gap year. Honestly, I was quite hesitant about taking the gap year in the first place because I didn’t know what to do with it. My interest lies in the engineering field, but it’s hard to find internships for that field because of the technical expertise that it requires. However, I followed my gut that I would be able to spend a year on my own terms meaningfully, even if I had no concrete plans back then, (and also my intense repulsion towards the idea of remote studying) and decided that a gap year would overall be more beneficial and enjoyable for me!
What did you do during your gap year?
E: I worked different jobs (as a Marketing and Communications intern, and at a hospital) to see what I might enjoy working as in the future. I also travelled to a few countries, started doing muay thai, and did up my college applications.
Kate: So many things haha it’s been pretty lit! In summary: I interned at a social service agency, worked at a bubble tea shop, worked at another eatery, joined the UN Environment Programme as a youth member, co-founded an international youth NGO, organised campaigns for climate change, started volunteering with a local political party, went on long hikes and random adventures with friends, discovered a new passion for resistance training, spent lots of time on Netflix and YouTube…
At the moment I’m interning at a social enterprise! Not sure what else lies ahead but really just going with the flow.
A: I think my gap year was mostly characterised by three things — internships, computer science and relaxation.
Cumulatively, I would have spent one year doing four different internships at three different places (twice at my scholarship agency). My first two internships were at the very start of the post A-Levels break, at MOE and also my scholarship agency — these two internships were essentially for me to make sure that I was making the right decision about what I was going to study and where I was going to bond myself to.
At this point, I really didn’t like computer science that much (it’s not my intended major!). However, because I couldn’t continue with my original project at my internship (due to work from home when COVID first started), I started taking some online computer science-related courses. I eventually came to really like it, which unexpectedly ended up defining most of my “actual” gap year as I decided to continue exploring the different areas of computer science.
I did an internship at a company that holds coding lessons for children, which I think combined my interests of technology/coding and education perfectly, and also allowed me to experience what it’s like working in a non-governmental company for once. I’m now interning at my scholarship agency again, partly because that was one of their expectations, or requirements, should I take a gap year — it wasn’t my favourite idea of how to spend a gap year (I wanted to explore other areas since I’d already interned there and will be working there for several years later), but it is turning out to be quite fulfilling and enriching!
Of course, it wasn’t just all work — I made sure to take plenty of time in between internships and my online courses to relax, and spend time with friends and family.
What was the best part about taking a gap year?
E: I think the personal growth you get is the best part. Taking a gap year was really fulfilling for me because I grew in many different ways through the different experiences I had. I was also lucky to be in a nurturing environment everywhere I went which made me much more comfortable being my genuine self around people. Besides that, it gave me the chance to do things at my own leisure, giving me time to properly think about my future.
Kate: Having the freedom to really just explore and do the things I wanted.
A: I think the main thing I’ve gained from it is the time I got to just explore my interests in a stress-free environment. For me, I decided to explore computer science (which I had a “fear” of, or maybe just aversion to, ever since a research project), which I’ve really started to like a lot more! Other than the learning and intellectual aspect of my gap year, I’m super grateful for the additional time I have to spend with my friends and family. Also notably, I picked up road cycling with my mum which is super fun! I’m aiming to do a round-island trip before I leave Singapore.
What’s next? What are you doing after your gap year?
E: Medical school!
Kate: I’ll be heading to college this Fall! Hopefully on campus.
A: I’m hoping to fly over in August to begin university! As much as I’ve enjoyed this gap year, I’m also itching to start university to learn and explore more, and to meet new people.
What would you say to someone who’s considering taking a gap year?
E: I would say that you should probably take the plunge because you’ll discover more about yourself. It’s not every day that you get an opportunity like this, at this age, to take a break from studying and have absolute control over what you want to do for a year. But it is also important that you stay gainfully occupied during this time.
Kate: Clichéd but if you can’t decide, just go with your gut feeling haha. Do take into account that there’s already quite a bit of time between the end of JC and uni. If you find that you’re already quite clear of what you want in school/career/life and don’t need the extra time to explore, then I’d say a gap year isn’t really for you!
To those who have decided to take a gap year: A lot of people say it’s important to plan ahead so that you don’t “waste” the year. Personally, I didn’t have a concrete plan but still had a very fulfilling time. I think the most important thing is to just genuinely explore and try new things — even if it goes against the norm or feels unconventional. And don’t feel bad for just taking time to chill and rest. I had long breaks where I wasn’t working or interning, but still found a lot of joy and meaning in spending time with friends (and myself).
Also, it’s quite normal to feel a bit (or a lot) of FOMO watching your friends transition to college, so find friends who are taking a gap year as well so you guys can FOMO together LOL.
HMU if you have any questions or are curious about anything else! You can drop me a DM on Instagram (@byobottlesg). Happy to share more 🙂
A: I think it’s not that scary taking a gap year after all, and you’ll be able to find something to occupy your time with. If you’re interested in interning, there are quite a number of internships that you can do, but even if you aren’t interested in that kind of structure, the time that a gap year gives you to really explore your interests without much stress is really quite valuable! It doesn’t even have to be something intellectual like I did, anything really goes. It really is a change of pace from the past 12 years of formal schooling.
If you do decide to take a gap year, I think my advice would be to not compare yourself with others during the gap year itself. This is one thing that I struggle with on and off, but it’s something I try to keep in mind and remind myself about.
- Don’t compare yourself with those in university — in terms of income, maybe the one year will make a difference in your overall income down the road, but I personally think that this one year will be insignificant in the long run. In terms of FOMO-ness, remember that you’ll be getting your own experience 1 year later (and meet a ton of new friends along the way, since you’ll be with a new batch of students).
- Don’t compare yourself with other people taking a gap year — people will spend their time on different things, and there’s absolutely no need to think that you’re spending it less productively or less meaningfully than others! If you’re happy, that’s enough.
E: My journey to medical school wasn’t really conventional considering that I was from a neighbourhood school and didn’t really do very well in JC leading up to A levels! But don’t stop believing in yourself and keep working towards your goals, and don’t worry if you take a longer time to figure out what you would like to do or need to take a longer path to reach your goals!
Conclusion: A worthy investment
I’m deeply, deeply grateful to everyone who have shared their experiences honestly and selflessly. I was in awe at every word! I hope you have enjoyed reading their stories as much as I have, and now feel inspired — and slightly less lost — while charting your own path.
And I hope you have seen from their stories that really, there’s no rush to start university or to get a degree as soon as possible. A gap year is not a “wasted” year. In some cases it could be by choice, in others by unfortunate circumstance (like a global pandemic). But no matter your reason for taking a gap year, it can be such a worthy investment — in yourself, and in your future.