One of the biggest concerns people have after taking one or more gap years is whether they'll be able to get used to being a student again. After spending time away from lectures, exams,
and studying, it's easy to wonder if you've fallen behind. I felt the same way before starting SCCO. Looking back, though, I realized that I wasn't starting from scratch. I was bringing valuable experiences with me.
You’re Not Starting From Scratch
Whether you spent your gap years working as a technician, shadowing, traveling, conducting research, or working in another profession, you developed skills that will carry over into grad school. During my gap years, I worked as an optometry technician in multiple clinical settings. That experience taught me responsibility, organization, communication, and discipline. More importantly, it taught me how to manage my time and develop routines. Take a moment to think about the experiences you've gained during your own gap years. You might be surprised how many of those skills become strengths once classes start.
The First Few weeks
Even with those experiences, the transition back to school took time. After a few years away from school, I went from having no lectures at all to sitting through nearly eight hours of class on the first days of the week. That first Monday I was mentally exhausted, and wanted to knock out the second I got home. Fortunately, that feeling didn't last. As I settled into a routine, attending lectures and keeping up with assignments, school became much more manageable. If your first few weeks feel overwhelming, know that it's completely normal. You're not only learning new material, you're also rebuilding habits and adjusting to an entirely new schedule. Give yourself some grace during the first few weeks.
Struggle Together
A big thing that helped me adjust to getting back into school was the people around me. Having friends that also had gap years made me feel less alone. We all would swap stories about what we did during our gap years and learn from each other and most of all struggle together. Meeting new people gives you new ideas and you could form study groups to help each other. Don’t be afraid to reach out to people. Having a study group really helps.
If you're coming to school after a gap year, remember that your time away wasn't a setback, it was an essential part of your journey. The experiences you gained before arriving at MBKU have already shaped you into a stronger, more prepared student. Trust yourself and remember that you're bringing far more to the classroom than you may realize.