My whole life has always been about getting to the next step -- always about getting to that next level which would just lead to me to another and another -- a never ending cycle of accomplishments that are designed to make me a "successful" adult. All my life I was groomed to believe that everyone's life is already mapped out: we go to middle school, then to high school, then college and finally a graduate school of some sort -- a never-ending cycle of milestones we are all expected to reach with no gaps in between. You finish one and then its on to the next one, no regressing only consistently moving forward, and no looking around (you wouldn't want to get distracted after all).
And that was basically how my life went for the majority of the time I spent in school. I worked hard from middle school until high school to maintain straight A's (B's were not acceptable) all because I knew I needed high grades to get into a top college to then graduate and go to medical school and become the doctor I (thought) knew I was destined to be.
And then came college...
When I first started taking the classes I needed to prepare me for medical school I hated every single day I had to go to class freshmen year. During sophomore year, I realized that if I continued with these classes. my GPA would never allow me to get into med school. I decided to change majors which led me to discovering Communications -- and I fell in love.
Now when I (FINALLY) decided to (officially) change my major it was too late in the semester to meet with an advisor and so I ended up registering for all the wrong classes which made me realize if I stuck to Communications, it would take an extra semester to complete my degree and I would not graduate on time, which left me stuck. After finally meeting with some advisors my junior year I discovered the Strategic Communication Degree with a Concentration in Public Relations at Temple which would allow me to graduate on time. Of course I switched immediately!
Despite how I fell into my major I don't regret it happening at all because looking back at the past four years I now know I would have been miserable in medicine. I enjoy working within more creative outlets, specifically anything that has to do with writing, the most essential component when working in the public relations or journalism field.
Now I know what you're thinking -- what am I possibly going to do with my degree?
Honestly, I do plan on going to law school in about a year to continue my education, but for right now I'm taking a year off to work and to just recharge myself after an intense four years in college. Though I love education, it is excruciating work and I know I'm not mentally prepared to just jump into an additional four years at this point in my life. Right now I want to work on blogging more -- one of my current favorite passions -- along with looking for a job within the public relations or communications field, and hopefully traveling more to new places during this break.
I'm not really sure where this gap year is going to take me (or whether it's going to be successful) but I'm excited to take a chance, not have anything planned, and see what opportunities this year brings. Yes, I am terrified because as previously stated up until this point in my life everything in my life has been meticulously planned, but I'll never be as young or carefree as I am at this point in my life. Personally, I know I would always regret not giving myself this time to make mistakes and further get to know myself before I really join the mundane and structured world of "adulting."
Graduating from high school and taking the next big step toward college can be daunting, so a growing number of students are choosing to take a gap year to focus on personal growth. Whether you spend a year traveling, volunteering or working, we'd love to share your story. If you'd like to contribute a text or video piece, please email gapyear@huffingtonpost.com and tell us all about your experience.