Corona Gap Year

Catina SweedyAbout Self-Directed Learning, Uncategorized

young woman sitting on leaf covered ground laughing and playing with a white hound rescue dog in a blue harness

With all of the uncertainty, angst, frustration, and fear facing students this fall, I would like to propose a radical solution: take a corona gap year. I know; it sounds crazy, but bear with me. It’s not as far out there as you think. If you (or your child) are between the ages of four and thirteen this post is for you, whether or not you plan on returning to school. If you are between the ages of fourteen and eighteen, and you plan on returning to high school, your situation is a little bit different. Check with your school guidance counselor to see what you need to do to return to school and adapt or modify these suggestions accordingly. If, on the other hand, you are not planning on returning to school, this post is for you too.

Yes, You Can!

By law (at least in the state of Virginia, from where I’m writing this), schools are legally obligated to educate you, so they are required to take you back if you decide to return. Obviously research your school district’s requirements for returning before taking a gap year, but it’s not as hard to return as many of us are led to believe.

Where most people pause, though, is the fear that they will “fall behind.” Take a moment to really reflect on this. What does it exactly mean, and where does it come from? Even while in school, people are behind and ahead in different subjects, and they still make it work. Additionally, it won’t take you nearly as much time to complete required coursework (if you even have any) because you will be able to take all of the time you need to work on it, without all of the time wasted in classroom management that happens in school. If you decide to go back to school, you will most likely be in the same place or even better off than when you left. Which leads us to my next point:

Time to Catch-up (or Get Ahead)

Since you won’t be in a class of thirty-plus students this year, you will be able to work at your own pace. This means that if you need more time to master a subject, you’ve got it; it also means that you can work ahead as far as you want. An added bonus is that homeschooling doesn’t have a bell schedule, so now you control how much time you spend working on a particular topic.

Mental Health

Let’s face it: school is enough of a challenge on its own during the best of times, but now it’s a whole new playing field. Distance learning robs students of the opportunity of working in group settings, having the resources of a school building, and casually visiting with favorite teachers and friends. The thousands of tiny interactions that occur each day in classrooms, offices, hallways, parking lots, sports fields, music and art rooms, auditoriums, and gymnasiums are all gone, and we’re going to feel it. There is no denying that the isolation of distance learning will take its toll on hundreds of thousands of learners this year. And we haven’t even begun to discuss the trauma of the COVID-19 pandemic itself. What will my future look like in the landscape of a global pandemic? How long will I be distance learning? What will college look like? Will I be able to get a job? Will I get sick? What about my parents, grandparents, friends, siblings?  With worries and fears like this, is school even worth it this fall? Why not take a break to care for yourself, heal, and spend time growing and learning your own way, taking your own time?

So you’ve thought it through, weighed the pros and cons, gathered up your courage, and decided to take a Corona Gap Year. Congratulations! Now what?

What You Can Do Instead of School

  • Volunteer
    • There are many organizations that are looking for volunteers. Animal shelters still need people to care for surrendered animals; wildlife centers need people to transport injured animals, community gardens need people to plant and harvest, and the list goes on and on.
    • You also don’t have to officially volunteer with any particular organization to give back. Do some guerrilla gardening or remove non-native invasive plants. Pick up litter.
  • Get a Job
    • Try your hand at online or in person work if you are old enough. 
  • Start a Business
    • Are you a craftsman or builder who has work that you can sell? How about a service like tutoring, baking, photography, or babysitting? Take this year to create a business plan and start working for yourself instead of waiting until you’re a “grown up.”
  • Go to College
    • Yes, you can start college early. In Virginia you can enroll in Northern Virginia Community College as a dual enrolled homeschool student starting at sixteen, and even younger with special permission. You can also take classes at many colleges and universities online. Check out Coursera for free or paid courses, many of which offer credit.
  • Get Involved
    • Want to get involved and make the world a better place in addition to volunteering? Pick an organization (or many!) that represents a mission that you care deeply about and find out how you can be a part of them. You can help raise money, spread awareness through social media, go to protests and rallies, and even meet with local officials.
  • Learn a Skill
  • Get Certified
    • Getting certified has many advantages, including higher job acceptance rate, padding your college resume so you stand out from the crowd, gaining valuable knowledge and skills, and having a nice piece of paper to frame for your wall. Check out How to Get Certified to learn more and see the many certification programs they can connect you to.
  • Find an Apprenticeship
    • Curious about how a local business works? Want to know more about that non-profit you’ve been following? Contact them directly to inquire if they offer apprenticeships or internships. You can also visit Apprenticeship.gov for more apprenticeship ideas.
  • Get Outside
  • Travel
    • It’s a great big world out there! If you have the means, traveling with proper safety precautions in the time of COVID-19 is a great opportunity to visit famous, beautiful, interesting, and educational sites with fewer crowds. Can’t get there in person? No problem! With the wonders of technology, you can travel the world without leaving the comfort of your home. You can even go to Mars! 
  • Do a Deep Dive
    • What have you always wanted to know more about, but haven’t had the time to invest in it? Paleontology? String Theory? History of Early Twentieth Century Fashion? Japanese Folklore and Mythology? Take this year and go for it! The internet alone is an incredible resource, but so are libraries, The Great Courses, documentaries, museums, online colleges, Khan Academy, and Outschool.
  • Find a Mentor
    • Do you have a person that you admire, a career, avocation or hobby that you are interested in, or just want an adult to share their life experience and time with you? Consider finding a mentor. One of the downsides of the current structure of American education is that it separates young people from society (and each other) based on their age. Use this time out of school to reconnect with the community and find a mentor to share your time with.
  • Be a Mentor
    • On the flip side of finding a mentor, why not be a mentor? Use this time to reach out to other people who share a common interest with you or who are looking for connection themselves.
  • Join a Self-Directed Education Center
    • Why join a self directed education center like Embark or other Liberated Learners centers? With their small size and flexibility, most self-directed education centers are planning on safely opening this fall with in person and virtual programming. Self-Directed Learning centers like Embark are designed to support our members in creating their own learning paths and helping them achieve their goals, all in a respectful, nurturing community.
  • Rediscover Yourself!
    • What do you love? What are your favorite hobbies? Don’t know? No worries. Take this time to reconnect with yourself. Reflect on your childhood games and play. Rekindle play! Try out some of the suggestions on this list. Make a list of things you hate and find the opposite to explore. Spend time thinking about who you are, who you want to be, and how you want to get there. Write a list of all of the parts of yourself that you love. Reach out to friends and family, write a list of what you love about them, share it with them, and ask them to do the same for you. Ask yourself what you are grateful for; what you love about your life; what you are excited about.
  • Just BE!
    • You know what? You also don’t have to do any of this. You can slow down, take a break, recenter yourself, and find peace. You can binge watch your favorite TV show, listen to music, play video games, chat with friends, look out the window, read a terrible book, or whatever else you want to do. It’s okay. You can catch up with academics if and when you are ready.

Whatever you choose to do, you can make this year one of the best yet. Come to think of it, this is a long list; how about making the rest of your years the best years of your life? After all, this is your life, your learning, your dreams. As Joseph Campbell once said, “The big question is whether you are going to be able to say a hearty yes to your adventure”.