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Is anyone else seriously considering taking a gap year due to covid?

Isn’t it going to be a bit crap if everything is online? My uni has said there will be “online activities” instead of freshers week... cos that’s the same isn’t it. There could also be a second peak which could ruin it even more, it’s a **** load of money to pay for a half arsed experience.
what will you be doing in the gap year then when the second peak comes along ?
Original post by Username4578
Isn’t it going to be a bit crap if everything is online? My uni has said there will be “online activities” instead of freshers week... cos that’s the same isn’t it. There could also be a second peak which could ruin it even more, it’s a **** load of money to pay for a half arsed experience.

What makes you think universities will invest hugely in retraining staff and updating systems to deliver online education...and will just revert back to non-online classes in 2021 for most subjects, even....if there is a vaccine?
Original post by stereotypeasian
what will you be doing in the gap year then when the second peak comes along ?

I’ll probably have a job cos I’ve already gotten interviews. If I can’t work due to a second peak then I will just be at home playing cod.
Original post by Username4578
I will just be at home playing cod.

yeah that'll totally make you stand out in your CV :rolleyes: and benefit you in the long run
Original post by stereotypeasian
yeah that'll totally make you stand out in your CV :rolleyes: and benefit you in the long run

If there’s a second peak at uni, I’ll just be doing the same.
Original post by Username4578
If there’s a second peak at uni, I’ll just be doing the same.

I don't think there's anything really speaking against a gap year...except for the fact that you may end up at a worse uni then you could this year, which might hurt you in the long run. Competition will be alot tighter for places...are you a high performing student? or you just headed for a mid-tier provider?
Original post by Realitysreflexx
I don't think there's anything really speaking against a gap year...except for the fact that you may end up at a worse uni then you could this year, which might hurt you in the long run. Competition will be alot tighter for places...are you a high performing student? or you just headed for a mid-tier provider?

Well I’m hoping to go to Newcastle uni, which I think most would consider high end uni, although it’s probably considered mediocre around these parts. I do a course so I get graded mostly on coursework and I should easily be able to meet the requirement for this year based on my past coursework results.
Original post by Username4578
Well I’m hoping to go to Newcastle uni, which I think most would consider high end uni, although it’s probably considered mediocre around these parts. I do a course so I get graded mostly on coursework and I should easily be able to meet the requirement for this year based on my past coursework results.

Fair enough i'll gather that probably New Castle won't be overrun as some of the fancier names, though yes of course it's a good Russell group no doubt. I just graduated from Nottingham, which is similar.
At some point, things will return to normal in terms of clubbing and the university social experience. I don't think a lack of clubbing opportunities is a big enough reason to delay going to university, unless you have a solid plan for your gap year. Remember, you will want to keep your skills up for the following year of university and it can be hard to motivate yourself to do things that are constructive and useful. I think, unless you have a job lined up already, you may struggle to find one - depending on where you live. Covid-19 has created an employment crisis.

Depending on your degree, online learning won't necessarily be too different from actually attending lectures. I finished university in 2017 and completed an English degree (which has minimal contact hours compared to a lot of other degrees). My university recorded lectures and uploaded resources, so - if I couldn't attend in person - I could just catch up online. I'm not saying this is ideal, but at points during my degree, my attendance plummeted a bit. Luckily, the recorded lectures were the same as being in the lecture hall - in fact, in many ways, recorded lectures were better as I could pause the talk, rewind it, and take more detailed notes (some of the lecturers spoke so quickly, I couldn't keep up). I think seminars can be held online (via platforms like Zoom) and will be just as effective as being in a room with other students and a lecturer (again, this is subject-dependent).

I think there is a problem with suggesting that, just because you aren't on campus, being taught in person, the education won't be the same. Certainly, the social experience might not be the same - at least, at the start it won't be - but with a vaccine in the pipeline, I don't think things will be as dire for long.
if only Covid affected my life... its the same!
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jfoo
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A gap year doing what exactly? Not worth wasting a year imo
Original post by Username4578
I’ll probably have a job cos I’ve already gotten interviews. If I can’t work due to a second peak then I will just be at home playing cod.


might as well go to uni than waste a year of your life doing nothing useful
You see I was considering this BUT then I realised that what am I even going to do during the gap year? full time work?

how depressing would it to work in retail fulltime at 18?
Original post by SirDaShawn
You see I was considering this BUT then I realised that what am I even going to do during the gap year? full time work?

how depressing would it to work in retail fulltime at 18?

I’d only be doing a gap year if I manage to get a job in the industry I’m studying, I’ve got interviews so it’s not impossible.

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