By Avantika Singhal:
Dear gap year takers,
This is it. You have done it. You have taken the plunge. You have decided to let it go. And by ‘it’, I mean a lot of things and people. You have let your best friend drift off to a college in a new city or worse, a new country. You have put your dreams on hold. And you have decided to get that brain racking.
[envoke_twitter_link]Gap years can be oppressive and mentally stressful if you don’t contrive ways to pass your time.[/envoke_twitter_link] And by passing your time, I do not mean Googling why the Kardashians are famous or solving the Rubric cube in one corner of your room.
Think of this gap year as an undulated and stagnant wave. It will come and go. Thus, it is in your hand to enjoy and relish every moment of it.
I am not one of those undaunted children who are not intimidated by the intensity of a gap year or what it represents. On Saturdays, I worry because a new week is around the corner. On Fridays, I am anxious because the weekend is here. It is a vicious circle but you can hinder your thoughts from becoming negative and dwell only on the positive.
You will easily and obviously encounter your batch mates having fun in their respective colleges but think of this gap year as a good decision. A healthy, coherently taken decision.
2016 is your blank canvas. Paint it with as many colours as you want. Oh and don’t forget to grip the brush with a firm grip. Flick the brush and give beautiful and gentle strokes to a new beginning.
Of course, it will be hard, what with your nagging relatives will be there, right under your nose.
But don’t you worry! Confidence is key. If you look proud and certain of your decision, no one can question you. However, if you sound wooly and fumble with your story, you’ll give them a reason to exhort you in the worst way.
So, live it up! Watch all the parts of Hunger Games. Take up a sport. Read “The Fault in Our Stars” or watch “Jersey Shore”. Do things that make you happy.
This is your year. Well, every year is your year but in this one, you can shape it the way you want to.
Here is to all the brave kids who have dared to flounder in the lesser explored areas of life.
Here is to an adventurous and fantastic gap year.
Yours truly,
Avantika Singhal.