Why Gap Year Or Deferment Is Not The Only Choice
The present pandemic has set a lot of schedules and plans off track in its wake. A lot of students are growing skeptical about their study abroad futures and opting out of enrolling for the present academic year. Deferment programs and gap years are becoming the norm of the day. While it seems ‘safe’ to take a backseat now, here is why you can still take a shot at going ahead with your plan.
For the students who have been admitted, but are now reconsidering going ahead with it, deferment programs are being offered to anyone who applies for it at top colleges like Harvard Business School. The students have a choice between a deferment of one or two years. However, they do anticipate a merit-based allotment wherein, a candidate may not receive what he has chosen. If someone opted for a one-year deferral but got two, he/she will have no choice. For others who want to opt for a gap year, you are free to take part in activities that will add value to your profile. But hear us out. Here is why deferring or taking a gap year won’t be the best option out there.
1) Benefits of a down market
There is no better time to do an MBA than when the employment sector has gone for a toss. There is no better time to go for higher studies either. Companies are not looking at hiring new employees any time soon and the time calls for keeping your jobs rather than looking for one. Therefore, if you have an admit right now, do everything in your power to make it work. If you are a student, focus on profile-building for now, in case you have not applied. When you return after your program with a degree, the market will possibly be better and you will have better chances of being hired with your added skills. Another benefit is that a down market provides a strong platform for entrepreneurial ventures. Of course, the company should be about something that has a market but other than that, all factors assumed, you should have a good learning experience in case of a possible failure. On the other hand, if your idea clicks, imagine the rate of investment you had to put in because of the down market – resources and labour would have been cheap!
2) A stellar skillset after the pandemic
Once the lockdown is over, all sectors are anticipating sudden traffic to study, get employed, start a new company, and whatnot. Might as well get done with things on your checklist right now than be part of that mad race, isn’t it? When you return to the market after your course, you will be full of newly added skills. You will be a candidate worth fishing. Employers will have more stringent expectations from newbies to recover whatever losses they have incurred in light of the pandemic. Therefore, if you have an admission in your hand, try your best to enroll this year itself. It is better to swim here than get lost in the limbo.
3) The real MBA experience
There is nothing more phenomenal than the real live MBA experience at a top business school abroad. MBA programs are courses that are meant to be taught through active participation and discourse in real life. No matter which top college you got into; if you want to make the most of it, you have got to be there, physically. If you have even the slightest choice of going ahead with your study abroad plan, do so. Nothing can replace the benefit of interacting with your peers, making use of campus resources, making new friends, networking with notable alumni and professors, coming up with successful business models and engaging in constructive criticism, it is all crucial in making the most of an MBA program.
Hope this helped you understand why this is a good time to go ahead with your study abroad plan. Top colleges across the world are doing everything they can to keep your academic life on track. All they need is your leap of faith!
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