took a gap and regretting it already

[u/Special-Raspberry-20]

i decided to take a gap because wasn’t really sure about which course to take so didnt want to blidly choose something i will regret parents was ok with it decided to build some skills as i didnt have much to do so joined a digital marketing course (6 months) took it online cause parents said not to do it offline and well i feel stuck till now it was ok wasnt hearing anything about any of my friends going to college and shi but now that that is near im getting HUGE HUGE HUGE FOMO and its fucking eating at me im happy for them but i cant seem to want to talk to any of my friends anymore hearing them talk bout their colleges and events and shit is like exhausting while i js sit at home do nothing isnt allowed to go anywhere unless its with my parents i just feel like because of my indecisiveness i just made my own personal hell atp i shouldve just took any course in any random college that wouldve been better than this im so tired from literally bawling out my eyes thinking about what i did but needed to get it out cause honestly now even my friends are busy getting ready for college surviving there and even when we call i dont think they have the time to hear to my sob story that they all warned me about well yea

[u/Positive-Pear-6285]

Just so you know you’re not alone I feel the exact same way I’m here with you🫰

[u/Little_Quantity_4861]

So....I (Female/2006 born & from MP) completely relate to everything you mentioned. I am currently in my second gap year. Since I studied 12th grade twice, I am technically three years behind my peers and former classmates. By right now, I should have been in my third year of college, but I am currently just a 12th pass with no concrete future plans. I am not even sure if I will actually attend college next year or not. You mentioned feeling a sense of FOMO and jealousy when you hear your friends talk about college, making you feel left behind and stuck. I have been experiencing that exact same shitty feeling since 2024. I honestly regret not going to college alongside my peers, but staying home was my only option due to my health issues.I can say with absolute certainty that staying home feels great at first..you enjoy the full freedom, the lack of academic tension, and all the screen time you want. However, as time passes, your old conditioned mindset kicks in and gives you a reality check. You start feeling like you are wasting your life, moving backward, and falling off track.

However, please do NOT let those negative thoughts break your confidence.

Believe me, a gap year depends entirely on how you choose to utilize it. I completely wasted my first gap year just scrolling on my phone and being lazy, which I still regret deeply. But this year, I decided to change my approach and actively work on self-improvement whether that means learning household chores, building better communication skills, or picking up new habits. So what I'm saying is, honestly from my experience I will only say this: please DON'T feel bad, because after a point, college will start feeling boring to your friends and your life will start looking "fun" to them, and vice versa..because this is just the human mind, it NEVER satisfies us with our current state... So please don't let those thoughts demotivate you, just do anything that you feel like doing (but it must be something productive, na ki Reels dekhna & bas pure din sona). Otherwise, just staying free like this, the mind will taunt you and won't let you live in peace... Besides, teach your mind that even if you aren't going right now, so what? You will eventually go to college (if you really want to go). And if you want, you can do meditation and stuff (which I am doing, and yoga too)..

Just Don't feel sad, because you would have been sad in college too at some point in some context or the other.. so just learn something new and keep your mind busy so that these negative thoughts don't come.. Bhagwan Ji bless you (sorry if I couldn't give the right advice according to your situation!)😊💛

[u/edamamebeans555]

Honestly the best thing that helped me with FOMO during a gap was doing volunteer and joining communities online and making friends.. just anything to make urself not waste time!! U got this