As current seniors anxiously finish their college applications, one of the options to consider is whether they want to postpone college and take a gap year.

Three of last year’s graduates – Thomas Enzminger, Adam Perelman, and Elaine Song – opted to take a gap year, deviating from the normal academic path most students follow. All three have had unique experiences close to home during the first half of the year.

Since September, Thomas has been volunteering at the International Bird Rescue Research Center (IBRRC) in Fairfield. He assists in the rehabilitation of several species of water birds through medicating, feeding and assessing the waterproofing of sick, injured, and oiled wildlife.

Thomas said that while the work he is doing has not necessarily been fulfilling all the time, it has been worthwhile.

“It’s extremely frustrating when an animal you’ve been treating just doesn’t get better; or when there’s nothing you can do to save it, and it has to be euthanized,” he said.

However, there have been instances during the course of his work experience that have been rewarding, such as “restoring [a bird] back to releasable condition [and] knowing you’ve been instrumental in saving its life, especially when you get to release it yourself,” he said.

In a completely different field, Adam has been working at Facebook as an intern. He writes code for software that will build a new version of the photos dashboard, the homepage of Facebook Photos.

Adam has immensely enjoyed his work. From the people, to the office environment, to learning about others’ experiences, he has immersed himself in the Facebook culture, hoping to absorb as much as possible during this three-month internship.

“There have been so many things about this experience that have been amazing,” he said. “I love what I’m doing right now so much. […] I don’t wish I was doing anything else.”

Elaine has also been working for companies in the Bay Area; she has spent her time at Iinterpret, an interpretation company, and Elance, an online group that connects entrepreneurs and service providers.

“In some ways I think I wouldn’t necessarily want to, right out of college, do the same jobs that I’m doing now. But I think that at this stage in my life, it’s pretty fulfilling: working, making money, and learning about the work environment,” Elaine said.

From social skills to learning skills, Thomas, Elaine and Adam each had to adapt to their new environments.

“The change is pretty drastic,” Thomas said. “Everything I learned at IBRRC, I learned on the job from staff members and senior volunteers, which differed a lot from a classroom setting.”

Likewise, Adam has “learned so much from listening to [his] colleagues’ experiences.” However, the one aspect of working at Facebook that he has found especially intriguing and rewarding is the result of his work.

“I can write code one day, and a week later it goes out to 500 million people. What I do isn’t just a homework assignment; it’s actually a product,” he said.

The social dynamics of a working environment were challenges both Elaine and Thomas overcame. For the first time, Elaine had to deal with the precarious topic of salary, “something that was new to me,” she said.

The more professional atmosphere makes Elaine at times miss her friends and wish that she, too, could be a part of the college experience.

While these alumni have busied themselves for the first half of the year, their plans will only intensify. Adam and Thomas plan to travel to Peru, while Elaine will continue to work in the Bay Area until she travels to New York in March.

The unique experiences that these alumni have had will ultimately shape their experiences in college and their personalities overall.