As graduation season comes to an end, it’s natural to be anxious about what’s coming next. Post-graduation life brings about some of the most unexpected changes any young adult can experience, sometimes making the decision to take a gap year can bring clarity about the next chapter of life.
Unbeknownst to many students, undergraduate school is a very special experience despite morning classes or final exams. The lifestyle carved out for college students, regardless of a public or private institution, is filled with community, camaraderie and once in a lifetime chances.
However, more often than not when the undergraduate experience ends students are left with “post-grad blues.” Post-grad blues are feelings of anxiety or sadness typically experience during their transition from a structured academic environment into the uncertainty that lies within the real world. Taking a gap year between attending school and emerging into the real world can help temper the harsh differences in lifestyles.
So what exactly is a gap year? By definition a gap year is a break taken by a student between secondary school and higher education, usually as long as an academic year. However, gap years have limitless potential and can be used as a period of brainstorming on what to do next. The decision to enter the workforce, pursue higher education or even travel can be powerful and transformative steps to becoming a person’s best self.
For young Black women in particular, the pressure to be emotionally strong while succeeding in life by living up to standards of Black excellence can be mentally taxing. Black women deserve to rest and have ample amount of time to think about what they want to do next without having to consider societal demand.
Standards of excellence often scare people out of doing what their mind, body or soul really crave, but making choices despite fear often result in the best adventures. Gap years can seem taboo, but there is no right or wrong choice about how to move forward post graduation.
Setting intentions for a gap year after graduation is the best way to make the most of the time. Here are some pros and cons to consider if you’re thinking about taking a gap year:
Pros
- Self-Discovery and Healing
Making peace with oneself will always come first. Black women are often socialized to work until the point of exhaustion. Stepping away from the fast pace of school or work can help address burnout and chronic stress. A gap year can be a proactive way to protect your mental health, especially in systems where Black women are frequently underserved or misunderstood. Healing mental health and emotional traumas can help a person explore and transform their identities outside of societal expectations. A gap year can allow space to process experiences, rest and reconnect with self.
- Travel and Adventure
Work is not the only way to build real-world experience, there will always be other opportunities for growth beyond academia. Traveling and volunteering abroad cah help build real-world skills, networks, and confidence. Having fun by traveling during a gap year can be helpful for gaining clarity on what’s really important to prioritize. Traveling is beneficial for expanding worldviews and understanding of what’s possible to achieve as a Black woman — on your own terms.
- Creative Exploration & Personal Projects
For creatives, taking a gap year could be the perfect time to bring ideas to life. A gap year gives you the time and flexibility to focus on creative work—whether that’s writing, podcasting, art, or entrepreneurship. For Black women, this can be a liberating way to reclaim narrative control and make space for joy, imagination, and innovation.
Cons
- Fear of Missing Out
The fear of missing out, or FOMO, often prevents people from staying on their own journey. Taking a gap year means following a unique path and drifting from the traditional norms expected during the transition into adulthood. After college, many people advance their lives by starting families or furthering their careers and seeing achievements posted online by peers may magnify the feeling of FOMO. Black women, in particular, often feel pressured to succeed early and break generational curses.
- Financial Hardship and Instability
Realistically, taking a gap year will cost money. Taking a year between school and work, or even school and higher education, means finding ways to achieve financial independence that may not involve your preferred career field. Though it can be transformative for the mind, body and soul, without financial support a gap year can be economically risky if proper preparation isn’t taken. Some Black women — who may already face wage gaps, wealth disparities or come from low-income communities — can feel pressured to step into the workforce regardless of feeling confident or prepared.
- Procrastination and Re-entry Anxiety
Re-entering adulthood and the workforce could have feelings similar to post-graduation blues. Re-entry can cause anxiety due to the emotional and logistical changes a person may face after taking time away. Black women may worry about being perceived as “behind” or having to prove themselves again in work environments. This idea that re-entering the workforce has to look or feel a certain way is rooted in perfectionism and can result in procrastination if these feelings are not processed.