The time right after one graduates is that crucial moment - as the elders would say - that one plots the path toward a better future and decides the kind of man or woman they are going to be. I'm here to say that while that statement is partially correct, let me indulge into coming up with a few ideas for your year off. Because a year of complete freedom will in fact shape a lot of your personality, so let's not let it fly by. This is your time to do whatever the shiznitz you feel like doing. Here are a few things that you could try out in the year you've decided to drop before that rat race begins. Travel. Pretty basic really. A year of travel would inevitably give you an experience of the world, cultures and way of life around you that you might not have been aware of. And it's not entirely surprising that many find their purpose in life through extensive travel. Head out on a cross country run, and we suggest that you do it alone.

Take up a job as a waiter, or in the service and hospitality industry.

The service and hospitality industry would be a grimy and amazing manner of stepping out of the comfort zone and experiencing a harder manner of living. There are perhaps few other jobs that are as under appreciated and strenuous as those in hospitality and service, and a short run through the hoops might help you get perspective.

Volunteer with social work. The real kind.

Head over to remote villages across the nation and help build schools, or teach at them. Couple this with a healthy habit of travelling and you'd be left with an amazing sense of satisfaction. Places like Ladakh, villages across the North East and even Down South have a number of programmes to work with. Apply yourself.