<aside> <img src="/icons/briefcase_gray.svg" alt="/icons/briefcase_gray.svg" width="40px" /> “I decided to take a fifth year before pursuing graduate school for a couple of reasons. Firstly, I needed extra time to really focus on my undergrad thesis, projects, courses, and work. I was also finishing up a major in another program, so I needed more time to complete the psychology courses that would make me a more competitive applicant for clinical and counseling psychology graduate programs. Finally, I needed more time to think about what type of research I wanted to conduct and which potential supervisors I was the most interested in for graduate school. I only wanted to apply to the programs I was 100% excited about. After taking this extra year, I feel more confident in the programs and professors I'm applying to in this cycle, and I'm very excited for my future.” — Elisabetta, psychology research specialist, graduating in 2024, now taking a 5th-year

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<aside> <img src="/icons/book_gray.svg" alt="/icons/book_gray.svg" width="40px" /> “I didn't get into med school first try and I wanted a break from studying for a bit. I also wanted to earn some money and get work experience so that I can apply for permanent residency.” — Rekha Ravikumar, psychology major, graduated in 2023, now taking a gap year

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<aside> <img src="/icons/book_gray.svg" alt="/icons/book_gray.svg" width="40px" /> “After the pandemic and four years of undergrad, I was so burned out and needed a break from academia before going into my masters!” — Vivian Mohn, psychology specialist, graduated in 2022, now taking a gap year

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<aside> <img src="/icons/briefcase_gray.svg" alt="/icons/briefcase_gray.svg" width="40px" /> “Truthfully, I was very burnt out from undergrad and I knew I needed a break to figure out what my next steps will be rather than jumping straight into graduate school.” — Anonymous, psychology research specialist, graduated in 2023, now taking a gap year

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<aside> <img src="/icons/briefcase_gray.svg" alt="/icons/briefcase_gray.svg" width="40px" /> “The main reason I took a gap year was because I wanted more time to think about what my next steps were and to take a breather after working so hard for four years. Applying to graduate school is a time-consuming and expensive thing to do, and accepting an offer is a big commitment. For those reasons, I’m glad I took the time to thoughtfully consider which programs I would apply to. I worked as a lab manager in a social psychology lab during my gap year, and it was only during that time that I realized I enjoyed social psychology a lot more than clinical psychology, which is what I originally intended to pursue. If I hadn’t taken the time to figure that out, I could have ended up in a program that was the wrong fit for me.” — Jordana Schiralli, psychology specialist (2016) & Ph.D. student in social psychology (2023), now a senior research analyst at a public relations agency

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🔗 To Main Page: UofT Psychology: Roadmap to Success

🔗 To Section Page: Should I take a gap year?

🎯Moving on: How are you spending your gap year?