The Significance of Taking a Gap Year

As far as after-high-school plans go, many families and their children have college lined up as the go-to option. For most students, going right to college after graduating high school is a given, provided that their GPAs and SAT scores allow them acceptance. And, in my personal experience, no other options were ever truly offered as a plausible substitute for going to college. In this era of ever-expanding learning, taking a gap year can be just as fruitful any knowledgeable endeavor can be.

For all the skeptical students and parents who disagree with this concept, the studies show more pros than cons amongst the gap year participants. As a student who took a gap year after her sophomore year in college, I can attest that I wish I’d taken it directly after graduating high school. And, it’s not all about taking time off for a vacation. This year of school-free learning provides students with the chance to get a part-time job (if they hadn’t had one before), to raise money for college, or better yet, for travelling. These young adults have the opportunity to visit new places, meet new people, and study unique cultures. Gap years also supply a mainly-free schedule for a student who is used to a busy routine during the school year.

Now more than halfway through my gap year, I can look back and examine what I’ve accomplished with my free time. I have gotten a part-time job, started reading more books, begun getting involved with new hobbies, started an internship, gotten a more reliable car, and overall I’ve made a leap into maturity that my former high-school self wouldn’t have thought possible. A gap year was the most significant and life-changing experience I could have ever journeyed through. I recommend it to every high school student I know. If it’s possible, go for it!

Gap years before college have become quite trendy in the last few years, with more and more opportunities being advertised to the public. Social media and the news network promote experiences like Study Abroad Programs and Community Service/Volunteering all around the globe! Financial aid and payment plans provide students with unlimited options; some organizations pay applicants for their help. Programs like AmeriCorps and City Year allow people to sign up for work/volunteering and mentoring students across the United States. Take your gap year and experience something new and exciting!