Is it Okay to have a YEAR DROP after Class 12th?

22 September,2023  |  By Brainwonders

College’s out. It's summertime so most of you might be thinking about your career. What to do? Where to go? Should I go to college again? Should I take a break?

First let us clarify the meaning of a gap year. 

A gap year is a semester or a full year break a student takes after completing class 12th and before joining an undergraduate degree. Some students also take a break for more than a year. All this might be confusing for you and by now you might have decided to take a gap year. But a year drop can help you decide what career path you should choose and not only that you can  to take. And if you are worried that no one else is taking a year drop except you, then ysave a year too!

Take Free Career Test by Brainwonders and plan your Drop Year effectively.

A gap year will help you prepare for your future that will in turn help you decide which career to choose and what pathou need not worry because students worldwide take a gap year after completing senior secondary or high school.

 Many students take a gap to prepare for the national level competitive exams which raises their families expectations over them. However, preparing for exams right after they completed studies might not be a good idea because your body and mind needs some time to relax and release all the exam heat and pressure faced during boards.

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The 3 common scenarios to take a year gap:

• You were unable to clear the targeted entrance exam.
• You didn't score well in boards and entrance exams.
• You haven't prepared for entrance exams till now.

Planning about the Scenarios:

Case 1: When you fail to crack your targeted exam, you should consider the following questions before taking a year drop to prepare again:

• Evaluate the difference between the target score and the actual score. Is there a huge difference or a minor one? If the difference margin is larger than the expected, you must take a year drop or consider choosing an alternate career path.
• Were you able to score a good enough rank to get a decent college? If not, then there is a risk of wasting your year if you don't score well enough the next year too. 
• Are you disciplined enough to sustain your motivation for an entire year of preparation? Preparing for an entire year raises your family's expectations and you might become gloomy and frustrated. This might diverge your attention from scoring high.

Case 2:  If you scored low in your board as well as entrance exams. 

Considering a drop just because you think that you are out of options might be a tough decision. Because in this new era of careers no one pays heed to the board exams marks. You are investing an extra year into your studies. You can make up for this gap by joining certification courses, youth organisations, foreign languages, etc., to make your profile stronger.

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Case 3: You need some time to prepare for exams.

The preparation for national level exams can not be done within months or days until you are exceptionally talented. Evaluate the reasons for your late preparation of exams. If they were disinterested, phobia, or unclear about their career path then it is advisable to have a nice chat with a career counsellor. 

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During this time, you can also take the DMIT test that is offered by Brainwonders.

DMIT stands for Dermatoglyphics Multiple Intelligence Test, it shows your innate qualities, personality, learning styles, etc. using your fingerprints.

It shows your innate qualities, personality, learning styles, etc. using your fingerprints.

Our fingerprints do not change, thus this test is bias-free and free of environmental influences. BRAINWONDERS is the only institution that uses the U.S patented DMIT test (7406186).

Advantages of taking a year break:

• When you take a year break, you will have time to think better. In this time you can also explore your choices and your passion. You could always pursue your passion that will help you in the future and can also be added to your CV.
• Breaks help you to perform better in college later. This will help you choose your subjects and other minor projects in college. Some students also complain about burnout.
• Studying for 15 years without any break can lead to burnout which will affect the student’s academic life. During this time, the students tend to avoid studying and rather not pay attention to academics at all.
• Many students start working right after college. This may be the cause of their burnout too. Working right after school may not give them the time to travel the world and see new cultures. Use your gap year to travel the world, to gain experience, to learn a new course, to help in an animal shelter, etc. you could not do anything either and just kick back, read a book and enjoy the sun. All this will help you gain the independence that you crave.
• You could also utilize this year gap by working in a company that will earn you some brownie points over others when you apply to colleges later.

Take Free Career Test by Brainwonders and plan your Drop Year effectively.

Cons of taking a year drop:

• Studying for an extra year, the same concepts and preparation all over again.
• Unsatisfactory performance in previous years leads to huge pressure in the current year to prove themselves.
• Another year of preparation puts a lot of stress and often the students are discouraged, depressed, and simply bored. 
• Some colleges have age limits set for the entrance which is affected by the year drop.
• Your dependency on your family increases for another year.
• Every year Universities hike their fees which means you'll end up paying high after a year gap.
• You need to work harder than your peers to catch up with their salaries, job titles, and achievements.

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How to plan your drop year effectively?

• Internships:

Internships are a great way to learn and to gain real-world experience. You can have multiple internships in different fields to explore what career path is best for you like marketing sales, digital marketing, finance, etc. It is better to stick to a two or three months long internship instead of going for a 6-month long internship because if the internship doesn't turn out to be good you will get stuck.

• Freelancing or Starting a Venture:

You can learn skills and work as a designer, writer , coder , social media manager, etc., for companies in India and abroad as a freelancer. You can also gain some skills to start your own venture such as a YouTube channel or a podcast.

• Online courses:

You can choose many online courses which provide you in depth knowledge of the subject you like.

Not only that but you will be able to save up for your textbooks and also for your tuition, this will help you get through easily. It will also add up to your experience.

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BRAINWONDERS have excellent career guidance counsellors and educational counsellors.

They, with the help of the DMIT test, will help you decide which career options are optimal for you and which field will be helpful for you.

Year Drop FAQs:

1. Does taking a year drop affect your placement process?

Ans: Dropping a year won't affect your placement process. However, you need to be able to convince others about your reasons behind your dropping out.

2. Does taking a year drop helps to explore career choices?

Ans: Yes, students who are unclear about their career or higher education can use a year drop to explore their areas of interest.

3. Does a year drop affect your admission process in abroad colleges?

Ans: Yes, a year drop might affect your chances of securing a place in overseas colleges.