In a country where we are often pushed to race from one exam to the next, taking a gap year in between studies it not common. Veronica Stivala speaks to two students and their parents about the ups and downs of having a break.

Marta Vella

No time to waste

I took a gap year right after I finished sixth form before university. I was auditioning for schools abroad and I wanted to focus on that rather than having to juggle university here as well.

I travelled quite a bit, did my Teaching English as a Foreign Language course and taught English. I kind of winged it. I was going to start university in Malta anyway, but then thought I would rather take a break.

Ironically, my gap year taught me that there’s no time to waste. I don’t mean to say that my gap year was a waste of time, however I often remind myself that I’ve already had my gap year, which motivates me to make every day count.

The difficulty of taking a gap year in Malta depends on the individual and family background. Many feel a gap year is an excuse to buy some time to just hang around and do nothing. With free education, people can ‘afford’ to change university courses, drop out or repeat their years.

Abroad, where you need to take a student loan which will take a lifetime to repay, the situation is different.

If you feel that you want to take some time to figure out your next move, then so be it. The older you get, the harder it will be to take some time away from your commitments.

My advice is to make sure that if you do take a gap year, be productive. Learn a language, do some short courses, read plenty of books, get fit and travel. Make sure that by the end of your gap year, you are a better person.

Josette Ciappara

Listen to your kids

It was Marta’s wish to take a gap year. I only agreed to it under some conditions: that she would use this year to educate herself in other things she loved doing and that she would support herself financially. I made it very clear that she was not to idle around the house or spend hours on the internet.

Marta matured a lot during her gap year. She took up various courses, started teaching English to foreigners, took part in some plays and gained experience teaching drama.

Our agreement was that I would pay for her education till she starts working. But taking a gap year was her choice, so the only option for her was to work and obtain experience.

In Malta it is not common for us to take gap years. I believe we are very conscious of competition. The truth is that when you love what you do, you will always succeed. Another reason might be that children nowadays are comfortable getting what they want from parents rather than earning it. I believe parents should listen more to the wishes of their children but they should also set rules and reach a compromise. That way, children learn to be more committed and respectful. Whether they opt for a gap year or not should be their choice.

A gap year should be a transition year for the children to be aware that life is all about making good choices and understanding that growing up needs to be regarded as a lifetime investment. They should be encouraged to work so that they realise that life is about getting temporarily uncomfortable if eventually the wish is to be comfortable.

Most young people are smart enough to realise that specialising for an extra five years will enable them to obtain better jobs with greater opportunities and wages.

Marie-Claire Saliba

Learning to survive

I finished my BA and decided to take a gap year before reading for my MA. As I had suffered a nasty bout of depression during my thesis year, my doctor strongly recommended that I take a break so as to avoid taking medication for a longer period of time. I was completely exhausted from studying, so I agreed. In the end I took two years off instead of one, because I realised I could avoid borrowing money if I worked for another year.

I knew beforehand that I wanted to work in order to be able to travel and save some money. I wanted to go on holiday while I didn’t have any studies, assignments or exams to worry about. I managed two trips: I visited a best friend while she was living in Dublin, and went to Paris with another friend.

I think the best thing I learnt from those two years is that I can survive and thrive as an adult. It may sound strange, but most university students I’ve spoken to had the same worry: that we would leave university, degree in hand, and be unable to adjust to the working world. Discovering just how well I could adapt was a confidence boost I sorely needed after beingso ill.

The hardest part was returning to university, because the thought of a major change in routine along with the loss of income was daunting.

I recommend taking a gap year, but I believe different people need different things. If there’s something else that will add significant stress to your situation, then it’s wise to take a break. If a better opportunity comes along, take it, by all means – however, if you want to pursue your studies and you can handle it, go for it.

Sharon Saliba

The only time for a break

I did not encourage Marie-Claire to take a gap year but I didn’t discourage her either. This is just the way I’ve always tackled things with my children. I support their decisions and encourage them in whatever choice they make. I’m lucky that both my children are mature and I’ve always agreed with their choices.

Taking a gap year meant Marie-Claire could take a break from the strain that studying brings about. She could also work full-time and earn some money to help with the course she intended taking in the future. It gave her the time to think and be certain about which course she wanted to follow.

People probably don’t take gap years in Malta because parents want their children to finish their studies and settle down into paid employment. There are advantages to doing without a gap year because you start working at a younger age, earning money, being independent and being out in the real world.

A gap year should be a time when you can take a break from studying, get a taste of what life is like without studying, perhaps get a job to make sure you can decide whether to continue studying or turn your gap year into a lifetime of work. It’s also probably the only time in your life when you will be able to take a break.