josh1996

I was unanimously rejected from almost 10 universities last year. So I took a gap year with the full intention of making it the “best gap year ever.” I had a volunteer position with Americorps Vista and was determined to travel and improve my spanish speaking skills.
But after a month into the Vista program, i realized that the program wasn’t for me. I was not in a good place mentally and emotionally while the small living stipend only stressed me out even more so. I moved back home. I thought I could easily get a job with my newly earned degree but after countless interviews the only job I could find was at Verizon Wireless and the pay wasn’t worth the commute. My parents own a restaurant and after watching me struggle with grad school rejections, employment rejections, and dropping my volunteer program they made me move back in for good and take over the restaurant. I still wasn’t in a good place emotionally so they were very adamant about just working at the restaurant and not worry about anything else. So I’ve spent this year as a cook, server, manager, janitor etc. I don’t even get paid. The point Im trying to get at is that my gap year was the most unremarkable year I’ve ever had. I served pasta and fried chicken while working my way through Spanish children’s books.
But I still think this year was incredibly successful. The break from school helped me realize how badly I wanted my PhD and career. It gave me time to reflect on what I wanted to do and put a lot of things in perspective. It was successful b/c I got to take a breather before jumping back into academia. The difference in my application was night and day. I’m fact, 4 of the schools that rejected me last year, admitted me for the upcoming fall semester. 
As for balancing work and application perpetration : you’d be suprised how much time you have when you’re not in school. A “regular” job/life leaves you with lots of down time, so use that time to figure out your interests, both academically and recreationally. Read some books, watch some Netflix, go to the gym!. If you have some schools in mind, find your people of interest, and read some of thier work. If you are still enrolled in a university, download or print thier research from academic journals while you still have access to it and a reliable library. Then take the next few months to read through it. I read the research of at least 3 ppl of interest for each school. For 10 schools, thats 30 people and multiple papers each! But i also used thier research to narrow my own research interests and form my own ideas. (I’m want to study American modernism and African Americans lit.) I also kept in contact with my advisor and sent him drafts of my statement and writing sample. I did all that and regularly worked on Spanish acquisition. My 9-5 job gave me lots of time to do so. So don’t worry too much about time. BUT make a plan early. You have lots of time but that time needs to be organized. Give yourself deadlines and stick to them. Make a budget too. The application season will be here again sooner than you think so you don’t have long to get everything as perfect as possible! So take a few weeks of down time and then get organized.
Use your gap year to relax. You deserve it! And good luck next year!