Not wanting to take a gap year for fear of being left behind...

Literally don't worry at all about the Now I know this sounds ridiculous, but I've always been a top student and hate the connotations of failure with a gap year: people who didn't get offers for university, people who missed their conditions, people who want to resit exams.

I also hate the thought that I would be a year behind all of my friends and be spending university with the year younger than me - it is just my school, but I really like my year-group and wouldn't enjoy being in the year below nearly as much. I hear I would always be looking to the year older and wondering what things would be like if I had just made the right choice initially.

Now I know this sounds ridiculous, but I've always been a top student and hate the connotations of failure with a gap year: people who didn't get offers for university, people who missed their conditions, people who want to resit exams. Posted from TSR Mobile

This does sound ridiculous. I know students who've gone to top universities after taking a gap year. In such a competitive field like Medicine, tons of work experience is essential and a gap year provides you with the perfect opportunity for this. Travelling abroad etc. I was told by my teacher, most people that take advantage of this gap year look more favourable to universities for courses such as Medicine.

First of all, you know yourself (and others would too) that you didn't 'fail' on any of those accounts, so it's different. Secondly, doing a course you do not want to do can obviously lead to poorer results and you may also regret not going for the preferred option which can be viewed as a failure in itself.

Also, let me just remind you that failure is necessary for success; it puts you in the right path. Your failure in deciding the correct course has had little consequence as a failure and more as a success, partly because you've caught it early!



Don't worry about that at all, there are plenty of people at uni with all sorts of circumstances. You'll probably find people in a similar position to yourself, yet there won't be anything stopping you befriending those who happen to be just one year younger than you. After reach a certain maturity, one year of age is nothing.

That is a choice you'll have to make, you probably always look in life to see what you could have done differently. It's certainly not always a bad thing to go against your dream/preferred option of life as life is hardly ideal.

This was really helpful advice! I have worked out that I will only be happy taking a gap year if I spend it somewhere amazing, doing something that I'll have been really glad to experience. That way, I won't feel any regret starting university a year later because I'll have realised all of the fun I had. I'm also trying to come to a compromise by only applying to five year courses next year, consoling myself with the fact that I'll graduate at the same time as friends on six year courses.

I suppose it's important just to think of the many years I'll be in work and seize this opportunity!




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This was really helpful advice! I have worked out that I will only be happy taking a gap year if I spend it somewhere amazing, doing something that I'll have been really glad to experience. That way, I won't feel any regret starting university a year later because I'll have realised all of the fun I had.

I suppose it's important just to think of the many years I'll be in work and seize this opportunity!




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I'm also trying to come to a compromise by only applying to five year courses next year, consoling myself with the fact that I'll graduate at the same time as friends on six year courses.

Don't worry about all your school friends and when they graduate - just do your own thing! Having done a gap year then chosen a four year course, I'll graduate two years after my friends, and potentially the same year as my younger brother! However, all my friends are absolutely terrified of graduating and having to get a proper job etc, so I'm glad I have that bit more time...


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I'm glad I could help you.
I definitely agree with those thoughts. A gap year is actually something I would advise someone to consider simply for experience.

You may not get another chance for a while to just do what you want, as at this point it has negligible effect effect on your career/family aspirations.



I'm not sure how the 5/6 years course difference comes about so don't want to comment too much - just a thought - wouldn't 5 year courses be more competitive to get onto as it's 'accelerated' or is it akin to doing a BSc instead of MEng/integrated masters? (I don't need an answer, but rather just making sure you've taken everything into consideration.)

Either way, don't worry about that too much I say. After a hectic 8yrs (A levels + uni) your friends might want a break anyway. Don't pick the 5 yr course because of your uber-competitiveness, but of course it's good to take the positives out of it, and I'm sure you'll make the right choice.

Good luck!

I'm not being funny. But I find it so weird when people don't want to take gap years and reapply out of fear of being left behind their other friends.


This is your degree education we are talking about here. Have some perspective. This is your career, your next path in life. You're willing to jeapordise doing a career you feel is right for you because you don't want the ' negative connotations of a gap year', and to feel left behind your friends.


That's quite ridiculous when you're talking your life time career here. Get your priorities sorted out. Imagine in a few years time, you'd be unhappy in a career you regret pursuing, have little job satisfaction, but hey! At least you got to go to uni that one year sooner than if you pursued the career you actually wanted.

Now I know this sounds ridiculous, but I've always been a top student and hate the connotations of failure with a gap year: people who didn't get offers for university, people who missed their conditions, people who want to resit exams. I also hate the thought that I would be a year behind all of my friends and be spending university with the year younger than me - it is just my school, but I really like my year-group and wouldn't enjoy being in the year below nearly as much.


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