Abhigyan Sikdar says he knew from the time he was in Class XII that he would allow himself a gap year after his boards to prepare for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test or NEET, for admission to undergraduate medical programmes. He says, “I studied in an ICSE school. The syllabus for the boards was very different from the NEET syllabus. I appeared for the exam the same year I graduated, but without any preparation.” So Abhigyan took a year off, prepared, took the exam again and cracked it. At present, he is doing his MBBS from Siliguri’s North Bengal Medical College.
Not all gap years, however, have such happy endings.
In fact, these are not “gap years” at all in the truest sense of the term, at least not in the Indian middle class context. The phrase “gap year” first became a recognisable phenomenon in the 1960s in the UK. In The History of the Gap Year, Macca Sherifi writes, “These were the years when the young generation shook off the post-war austerity and grew the confidence to ask if their lives had to be the same as their parents’. Gap years were part of this cultural and social revolution.” Even before that, between the late 16th century and the early 19th century, sons of wealthy Europeans would go on year-long cultural tours after finishing their studies and right before taking up a profession.
The gap years we are referring to in this piece are more perfunctory, born of practical necessities such as preparing for entrance tests and a certitude that they cannot be cracked at first go. The new gap year is basically a cram year and is full of uncertainties. Says Abhigyan, “At home, there would often be comparisons with those who had cracked NEET on their first attempt. It often got to me.” That one year Abhigyan stopped meeting friends because they would be full of stories about their colleges. He locked himself in and crammed.
Ahana Mustaphi’s gap year was three years long. All those years she prepared for NEET. She says, “At first attempt, my NEET rank was very close to what I had aimed for.” She was confident that if she took the exam again, with more preparation, she would score even better.
But that did not happen. Instead, the gap year threw her out of the academic loop. She continues, “I was distracted and did not study as much as I should have.” Then the pandemic struck. Three years of sitting at home and preparing for one exam took a toll on Ahana. “My parents wanted me to take the exam a fourth time
but I was done.” She appeared for the Joint Entrance Test for Nursing, Paramedical and Allied Sciences or JENPAS UG. At present, she is doing BSc in nursing. She says, “It still bugs me sometimes when I see my peers working, building a career while I am still doing my bachelor’s.”
Unlike Ahana, Joyeeta Mitra had a backup plan from the start. She too wanted to crack NEET, but had also applied for the biotechnology programme at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, or IISER, and appeared for the Undergraduate Common Entrance Exam for Design or UCEED. She got through IISER but remained hellbent on cracking NEET. She enrolled in multiple NEET “repeater courses”. The 2025 NEET is going to be her fourth attempt. She says, “My father too had wanted to become a doctor. I have always wanted to fulfil my father’s dream.”
Gap years are uncertain times. A civil services aspirant who is currently taking a gap year after finishing her master’s in political science from St. Xavier’s College, Calcutta, says, “This is a big investment on my part and I want something out of it.”
She spent the first few weeks familiarising herself with the pattern and syllabus of the UPSC exam and watched topper videos on YouTube to learn about their study habits. Then, she joined a coaching centre. She says, “Self-study works for some people but I need that human connection.”
Experts say that repeaters have an advantage because they don’t have to deal with the pressure of board exams. However, repeaters are at an increased risk of anxiety and depression compared to those who don’t take a gap year.
“It’s best to limit yourself to one gap year,” says Nina Mukherji, career counsellor and psychometric assessor. “Extending it beyond that may lead to missed opportunities.” To make the most of this time, she advises students to set clear goals, a timeline and have a solid backup plan. She says, “For example, aspiring engineers can explore reputed colleges other than the IITs, and medical aspirants can consider related fields such as pharmacy or biotechnology.”
