Taking time off after graduation is becoming more and more popular. TIME Magazine, the New York Times, and US News and World Report have all recently published articles discussing the pros and cons of delaying college. This break between high school and college is commonly referred to as the “gap year.” Despite its name, this time frame can range anywhere from a few months to a couple of years. Typically students use this period to explore opportunities or interests that aren’t readily available in college.
The gap year is often a time of self-exploration. Many students use this time to travel to foreign places to study different languages, experience exotic cultures, or volunteer for mission oriented work. Taking time to travel in-between studying also allows students the freedom to explore without the pressure of either work or school. For many this might be the perfect chance to break out and do something new.
Travel is not the only option for a student who wishes to delay college. Many students also use the break to gain experience in their chosen professions. Students can take on extended internships or even entry level jobs in their prospective fields. These experiences allow students to evaluate possible career choices before committing to any major or majors.
Gap years also allow adolescent students more time to mature. Students who aren’t ready for college right after high school can give themselves the freedom to ease into being an adult. There are no constraints as to what a student can do with this timee. However, the period between high school and college should be productively used to expand and enrich a student’s life. A year of video game practice does not count as a gap year, rather a wasted one.
Even if a student is considering taking time off after high school, it is important that he or she still take the necessarily college entrance exams and apply for colleges during high school. It is a lot easier for students to study, get letters of recommendation and apply for schools while they are still in the school-mode. Many colleges allow students to delay their acceptances for one year. While these deferments save a student’s admission slot they do not always allow that student to keep his or her financial aid packages. Therefore it is important to ask individual schools about their financial deferment policies.
Taking time off is not for everyone. Some students need the post-high school momentum to keep them going through college. Others have career goals that require years of schooling that they just don’t want to delay. Like all the options available to students, the decision to do a gap-year should be well-researched and discussed. If you haven’t explored the idea of a gap year and are interested in possibly pursuing one the following websites are a good place to start.
www.gapyear.com
www.usagapyearfairs.org
www.planetgapyear.com
www.thinkingbeyondborders.org
www.uncollege.org/gapyear/
