Considering a Break? Contemplate Time Off Prior to Commencing Graduate School?

A gap year between undergraduate and graduate studies can offer numerous advantages, as many students are discovering. This break can provide an opportunity to evaluate career options, gain work experience, and even save money for the graduate program.

Some graduate programs, such as master's in teaching, MBA programs, and master's in nursing programs, require professional experience before application. This prior experience can help in deciding a career path for after graduation. However, a gap year can also offer a valuable perspective on one's academic future, helping to evaluate options, including alternatives to grad school.

Taking a year off can provide more time to prepare for graduate school, especially when considering the time-consuming nature of tests like the GMAT, GRE, or LSAT. Moreover, the break can help prevent burnout, as a 2020 study found that students who took gap years had significantly lower levels of burnout than those who didn't.

The individual, who initially wanted to go to law school, found that a gap year was beneficial in making a different career choice. After spending hours prepping for the LSAT and submitting more than a dozen law school applications, they realised law school was not the right path for them. Instead, they chose to pursue a Ph.D. in history and become a professor.

Taking time off before grad school can also help save money. The average cost of a master's degree is $66,340, and a gap year can help students save towards this significant expense. Spending the gap year on campus working, volunteering, or reading can help maintain a connection with the university and start grad school energized and motivated.

Many graduate students can benefit from a break, as it can improve their chances of getting into grad school and make them stronger students. A gap year between undergrad and grad school can pay off in surprising ways, offering a fresh perspective and a renewed sense of purpose.

However, it's important to note that the search results do not provide specific information about the duration of the author's gap year between their Bachelor and Doctoral studies. Nonetheless, the benefits of a gap year are clear, and many students are choosing to take this valuable break before embarking on their graduate studies.