After leaving UCLA, many seniors will be entering graduate
schools across the nation or starting to work in full-time
jobs.
Many will not.
Some seniors who are not in transition from UCLA to graduate
school or to a full-time job are doing what is commonly referred to
as “taking a year off.”
Director of the UCLA Career Center Kathy L. Sims said the phrase
may imply these graduates are not doing anything ““ at least
not what is expected of them ““ but called that designation a
misconception.
“The reality is that if a student is unclear of what they
want to do … we could explore (other) options,” Sims
said.
She said that when students decide to take a year off, they are
offered an abundance of rich and rewarding opportunities, and
usually the work they do is hardly time “off.”
Students rarely decide to do nothing with their time, Sims
said.
Many students are taking full advantage of the ability to
explore new options.
Mark Brook, a fourth-year political science and communication
studies student, said he had wanted to go to law school, but has
decided to take time off to entertain other choices.
During the coming summer, Brook will be looking for a job as a
paralegal to further explore his interest in legal studies, using
both job-listing Web sites, as well as resources from the UCLA
Career Center.
In addition, Brook will be departing for Malaysia in August.
Though he said he is interested in legal services, he is also
looking into sports writing and Fox Sports.
There are a variety of options graduates have when deciding how
to spend their year away from full-time school or work.
Sims said several graduates have worked in fellowships,
internships or have gone abroad.
She explained that past students past have become English
teachers in foreign countries and worked in other forms of
volunteer work.
A good traveler can develop key skills for a full-time job, Sims
said.
The work graduates do abroad or at home while taking a year off
can develop a new maturity that helps them decide what the next
part of their lives should be, she said.
A year away from school or full-time employment can also allow
graduates to work part-time, she said, helping to pay back student
loans, while still keeping options open for long-term
decisions.
However, some students may take a year off without directly
involving themselves in any of the options available through the
UCLA Career Center.
Spencer Hawes, a fourth-year philosophy student, has already
been accepted to Harvard Law School, but decided to postpone
enrollment in order to be age 21 by the time he enters law
school.
Hawes said being 21 would be more advantageous for him in law
school due to the fact that when companies hold events to meet law
school students, bars are common locations of choice. Networking
with businesses is an important part of finding a job during and
after law school, Hawes said. If businesses hold events in bars, he
does not want to be hindered from that opportunity by age
restrictions.
So Hawes is using the year to earn money for law school. He said
he is looking into a job as a paralegal somewhere in Silicon
Valley, which would allow him to gain experience before attending
law school.