Chinese generation-Z students have become more interested in taking a gap year after graduation. The pandemic has had an impact on some, encouraging them to seize the day, and explore new and exciting opportunities.
In China, many Gen-Z graduates no longer try to get a job immediately after graduation. With the pandemic disrupting many plans, some graduates adjust their education goals, while others just choose to take a gap year to explore more possibilities.
Yu Kou decided to take a year off. She realized before graduation that there's more to life than the common path that people her age follow. She's done multiple volunteer and research work during the gap year.
YU KOU Undergraduate in gap year "I am very aware of the concept of 'social clock,' it basically expects you to be doing things at the same pace with everyone else at your age group, that was definitely one of my serious concerns, but as soon as I started doing my actual internships, I just realized that what I could learn in this year at workplaces are not going to be any less than what I could learn at school."
BI RAN Beijing "Some graduates fill the gap year with internships and work to scale up their career. Others would rather see it as a break in their busy schedules. Either way, these students are wondering if there's something else out there that's different and exciting."
ZHAO DI Postdoc Researcher The Future Laboratory, Tsinghua University "At personal level, students often discover new field of interest, and they are eager to explore new possibilities, or simply they would like to take some time off to recharge."
Going to school during a pandemic is no easy feat. Is the "recharging period" a cushion for graduates to get away from real life?
ZHAO DI Postdoc Researcher The Future Laboratory, Tsinghua University "A gap year is called a 'gap year,' not 'I'm taking off from life' for a reason."
Young people need more courage and flexibility to adapt to change, both socially and personally.
ZHAO DI Postdoc Researcher The Future Laboratory, Tsinghua University "A gap year is a really great time to do some inner work, inner reflection to know what's important and what's meaningful for you personally."
HE JIA Adolescent Psychologist "There is a difference between a choice and a response. If students choose to take a gap year, then it's a long-term plan and like long-distance running race, you need control and good preparation."
This year, nearly 11 million students graduate from universities in China. For generation-Z graduates, diversifying life experiences and exploring the path they willingly choose might be more important.
