Yesterday I finished my 4th year of Secondary School. Since most of you aren’t from Ireland, it is the same as 10th grade. In Ireland, we call it Transition Year (TY).
It is an optional year after State Exams, which means you can skip it and go straight into 5th year (11th grade) or take the year to scarcely partake in academics, and spend time doing activities such as a first aid course, law programme, driving school, TEFL course (Teach English as a Foreign Language), work experience (spent 4 weeks in 4 different workplaces, seeing what the job entails), ice skating, and so so so much more. These activities take students out of the classroom and into real-life situations to teach us skills for the future. I know some would say I was still in school Monday-Friday, but I am here to review and share my opinion on taking a year break from academics.
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My first revelation was how much spare time I had, even after my school day, I had no homework. I could spend my time improving my skills and hobbies. I improved vastly on my piano and guitar, I had time to reuptake my passion for journalism and poetry, and I have made good headway in my journey to become fluent in Irish and French.
Without so much time on my hands, I wouldn’t have had time to practice all these skills. This helped elevate my confidence in my hobbies, and therefore myself. It was also a much-needed break after State Exams the year before (the Junior Certificate). With this increase in skills, I have found I have more to bring to conversations.
2. Stronger Bonds With People
I also had more time to strengthen my relationships with family and friends. Because my parents worked full days, I had plenty of time to make dinner and do extra chores, which made their lives easier and let me feel helpful. It also allowed me to spend more time bonding with my friends, which we all know is an important part of growing up.
Our class bonded because of all the time and experiences we shared throughout the year. Our teachers and Year Head told us that we were a particularly good class because we all cared immensely for each other and had no judgment, everyone was so inclusive and open-minded. Which I must admit is true. It is very rare to get a group of 25 kind and caring people. I have made lifelong friends.
3. Major Skills & Certifications
I named some above, such as first aid and driving. We learned so much from all the different areas of life. From Forensics like John F.
Kennedy's assassination to Arabic belly dancing. We learned about career paths, self-awareness, growth, activism, sewing, and fencing, we achieved the President's Award, hospitality certifications, a degree to teach English as a foreign language, and so much more. This obviously gave us many different opportunities during the year but also helped us when entering the workforce. A lot of the certifications, such as First Aid and Hospitality, are great on a CV. I know this was all part of my school year, but if you are just taking a gap year, you can partake in all the above. The time is what you make of it.
4. More Diverse Academics
Since TYs don’t have a set curriculum, the times we were doing work, we had fun with it. A good example is in English when we were talking about Ulysses by James Joyce. In this book, he writes from the first person about a day in the life in Dublin, it shows the author's every thought throughout the day, and while it can be hard to read big chunks at a time, it is incredibly written.
We spent a whole class writing down our thoughts, which was scary to look back on but mostly funny. It was random classes like this that brought learning and writing to students' attention in a fun and easy way.
5. Prepare For The Year Ahead
As you have probably guessed, I like writing. I said at the start of this review that I was trying to become fluent in Irish and French, while also working on my Journalism and poetry. I study these languages and topics in school, so I'm better prepared for the upcoming school year.
I also looked over Biology and Music, which are new subjects I'll be taking next year. I enjoy being prepared, so this not only helped me to be ready, but it also allowed me to be less worried about having to get back into homework and studying after a year out.
In closing, I have learned so much this year, but one of the main things was that exams aren’t everything. There are so many ways to get to your dream career. School is all about academics, but so many people may be able to play beguiling piano pieces or get an almost impossible layup.
You don’t need to know Shakespeare or Pythagoras's theorem for everything. Please don’t stress too much over exams. While school is important, there is so much more to life. If I am to quote The Dead Poets Society, “the human race is filled with passion. Medicine, law, business, and engineering, are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for” Carpe Diem.
