Comp Sci Grad to Au Pair and back

When I graduated from my Computer Science program in 2022, the whole world had changed. COVID had happened and as a consequence, we'd spent over a year in school virtually, I'd completed an incredible month interning from the comfort of my dorm room and the fragility of life had never been more glaring. The sequential school-to-university to-labor force progression seemed wasteful when Time had very suddenly become of primary concern.

Since then, I took my first ever international flight, I've lived outside of my country of birth and I've seen the Pacific Ocean. As I prepare to re-enter the corporate world, I am certain that my gap year was the best decision I ever made and if you're about to graduate take a moment to consider my reasons why.

You get the time and space to identify your priorities:

When you're at school it's easy to get locked into the hustle and bustle of assignments, extracurriculars, resume building and having fun. Moments to step back and out of your context to truly consider your goals, and your priorities can be few and far between. This was the case for me. By the time I graduated, I had an exciting corporate job lined up in the big city. The steps toward a future that had the potential to be financially comfortable, and that looked like the success we're all encouraged to aspire to were in place. Yet, I wasn't sure if this was what I wanted my success to look like and I didn't have any alternative lived experiences to compare it to. My gap year allowed me the space to make those considerations. Do I want a traditional, corporate job or would freelancing in software development work better for me? Were there alternative industries worth looking into and learning about for me? Did I have aspirations to have a family or to do extensive travel one day and if so, how would I need to tailor my career to aid in those pursuits? These are questions that can be pivotal to career planning and as such deserve to take up time and real estate in your mind.

You get the chance to better your hard skills:

It is very easy to fall into the habit of learning to ace a test as opposed to learning for genuine proficiency when you're at school. Taking the time to improve your skills outside of the classroom, without the pressure of either a grade or a work deliverable looming overhead can leave you with a greater appreciation for and mastery of your discipline. This is especially true for those, like me, who tend towards perfectionism. Relieving myself of external pressures has helped me deal with and persevere through the struggles that come with coding. As a result, I've seen my software architecture skills improve, my problem-identification and problem-solving skills improve, and my overall joy in writing code increase. Additionally, my gap year has allowed me to explore different forms of software. I've built websites, web apps, API's, backend systems, and even basic computer games. Some were so successful they made it onto my Github, others left me with invaluable knowledge to avoid future frustrations.

You are challenged to actively better your soft skills:

One of the biggest reasons I advocate for taking a gap year abroad is that it guarantees discomfort. You will never feel more like a fish out of water than when you're in an environment where the customs, the food, the people and the language are foreign to you. You're forced to be more flexible, more sociable, and more adventurous. During my time in the United States, I've learned Spanish (at an elementary level) because I found that even just attempting to communicate with people in their native tongue made them smile. I've become more likely to make the first move toward meeting someone new, despite my often shy disposition. I've discovered how powerful culture is as a means of finding common ground, with people from across the planet and I've grown a deeper appreciation for my culture and my home as well. I am magnitudes better at connection now than when I began my gap year.

You get to have a good, clean, youthful adventure:

Never will you have fewer responsibilities than when you're fresh out of school in your twenties. A career comes with an apartment, furniture, bills and stuff. The more you own, the harder it is to go on a grand adventure. More than anything else, my gap year has given me pinch-me-moment after pinch-me-moment. Snow, Kendrick Lamar, Lake Tahoe, the desert, New York City. I've been privy to so many extraordinary sights and otherwise magical experiences in my time away from the hustle and I am a more well-rounded version of myself because of it.

We all have different experiences and different responsibilities and it may not be possible for you to take a gap year. However, if you can, I urge you to do it. Do it for every reason outlined above, but more than anything do it for the potential for pinch-me, my-life-is-a-dream joy it can bring. Take it from me, that alone is a worthwhile reason.