Should You Take a GaP Year Before Starting dental school?
To give you background about my own pre-dental experience: I took two gap years, and I am really glad that I did. There are definitely some really great things that I got to learn and experience while not in school, but there were also some things that I regret. So, let me share them with you so that you can make the best decision for yourself.
To take a gap year...
There are many great things about taking one or a few gap years. To begin the list:
1. You get a break from the intense load of classes. This sounds obvious, but consider this. You have probably just been in school for a few years, and maybe you need a chance to recuperate. Totally reasonable. As someone who is in the midst of dental school, I can tell you first hand that it is a really intense thing to go through. If you feel exhausted, I'd recommend taking a break to regain some rest. This way, you'll be excited to venture back into professional school.
2. Gain real world experience. To be frank, you really don't get that much real world experience while you're in college. You have a pretty tight schedule, you don't have to worry about paying bills or managing a house. During my gap years, I learned a lot about credit cards, how to handle leases, and how to balance a job and find the time to get my errands done. These are things that you will have to do when you're in dental school, and I found it really helpful to have time to figure it all out without the stress of school.
3. Volunteer opportunities. When I was in school, I know that I did not have a lot of time to commit to organizations, especially the service ones. I thought I couldn't balance both getting a high GPA while also spending a Saturday cleaning up rivers or being a volunteer at the local after school program or animal shelter. When you're taking a gap year, you can really become involved in one or two organizations. Demonstrating your kind heart and commitment to service organizations demonstrates to dental schools that you're serious about entering a profession that helps people for a living.
2. Gain real world experience. To be frank, you really don't get that much real world experience while you're in college. You have a pretty tight schedule, you don't have to worry about paying bills or managing a house. During my gap years, I learned a lot about credit cards, how to handle leases, and how to balance a job and find the time to get my errands done. These are things that you will have to do when you're in dental school, and I found it really helpful to have time to figure it all out without the stress of school.
3. Volunteer opportunities. When I was in school, I know that I did not have a lot of time to commit to organizations, especially the service ones. I thought I couldn't balance both getting a high GPA while also spending a Saturday cleaning up rivers or being a volunteer at the local after school program or animal shelter. When you're taking a gap year, you can really become involved in one or two organizations. Demonstrating your kind heart and commitment to service organizations demonstrates to dental schools that you're serious about entering a profession that helps people for a living.