There are so many reasons to take a gap year. For a start you’ll get to see new places, meet new people, you could boost your career and have the most fun experience of your life.
But what if a Gap Year actually had the added benefit of changing the neuro pathways in your brain?
That’s right. New science is coming out showing that extensive travel and experience can literally change the way your synapses are connected.
In a recent Atlantic Article neurologists talk about the importance of travel immersion as it relates to creative “neuro-plasticity.”
“In general, creativity is related to neuroplasticity, or how the brain is wired. Neural pathways are influenced by environment and habit, meaning they’re also sensitive to change: New sounds, smells, language, tastes, sensations, and sights spark different synapses in the brain and may have the potential to revitalize the mind.”
Another article in the Guardian gives a similar benefit.
Traveling and living abroad can also affect the way we interact with people. Research by Dr Julia Zimmermann and Dr Franz Neyer compared the personality development of a large sample of German university students who had studied abroad for at least one semester with a non-travelling group.
The results showed that those who studied abroad were generally higher in extraversion than those who chose not to travel during their studies: the travellers were likely to enjoy being around other people more than being alone. When they returned home after travelling, the participants also tended to show an increase in openness to new experiences, agreeableness and emotional stability.
We believe if you choose the Right program that gap years do help you to develop emotionally, culturally, academically, and now BIOLOGICALLY!
So what are you waiting for? Plan a gap year today and browse our website for amazing things to do.
To help you get started here are some popular options:
• Gap year jobs
• Gap year internships
• Gap year volunteering programs
• Gap year courses