Gap year

The mention of the two words gapyear brings about dropped jaws andstunned glances amongst most HongKong parents. The mentality of atypical Hong Kong family would smirkat this absurd ( 可笑的) idea, because,of course, why would anyone waste ayear travelling instead of going touniversity immediately?

We need to repel the perception thatgap years are for people who couldn'tget into university or have "failed".

Most of us make the decision to take ayear out for various reasons-abreak from education, to prepareoneself for university, to travel and seethe world, to broaden our horizons, tolearn something new, to really decidewhere our future lies, etc. Forwhatever reason it may be, a "gappie"ends the year, if planned well, with agreat deal more worldly knowledgeand experience than someone whohas leaped straight from school touniversity. In a way, it is a long-terminvestment where immediate benefitsmay be difficult to see, but it can reallychange one's perception of life.

Gap years aren't for everyone, andnot everyone tackily "discoversthemselves" in a mere year, but theydo open the eyes of many, and indeed,enhance their future prospects in duecourse. With experience of working inthe real world, travelling to the end ofthe Earth, exploring new and uniqueinterests, helping with charitableorganisations... most gappies feel likethey've learnt more in a year than intheir life duration of education. Soperhaps Hong Kong should warm tothe idea of students entering the"University of Life" for a year. Needlessto say, what parents would honestlywant their children to miss out on aonce-in-a-lifetime experience?

Writer's Profile

An unconventional boarding school-educatedgap year student who is about to study atOxford University.