Benefits of Taking a Year Off

Many students head off to college right after high school because that's the customary path. But if you are thinking that you are not quite ready for college, then you may want to consider taking a year off to explore foreign countries, gain work experience, or improve upon your studying skills. Check out the following benefits of taking a gap year before you begin college.

You will become more mature. Students who take a year off before they enter college mature earlier than their peers who come straight to college from high school. Taking a year off to travel foreign places or work full-time will give you real world experience. Think about how much you would mature if you got to travel to Ghana by yourself and teach English to school children or if you got to explore South East Asia by working in the rain forests. On so many levels, you develop a certain maturity when traveling on your own and experiencing new people and customs. That maturity will allow you to become excited about going to college and allow you to get through the social and intellectual stressors of the four or more intense years to come.

You will become more focused. When you take a year off to discover who you really are, you will be more focused on what you want to do with the rest of your life. Many students, who thought they knew what they wanted to major in, realized that they did not enjoy working in their presumed major after they delved into their gap year of full-time work. These students were able to take the rest of their gap year to explore different jobs in order to find out what they wanted to major in at college. If you are not exactly sure what you would like to major in, then consider taking a year off to explore different career fields.

You will be academically prepared for college. Students who lack basic study skills may run into difficulties at college. If you feel that your grades or your study skills are not up to par by the time you graduate from high school, then you may want to consider taking a gap year to improve yourself academically. Contemplate the option of enrolling in a postgraduate program to enhance your concentrated studying. There are many programs that offer refresher courses in algebra, geometry, English, etc. Some programs even offer introductory college-level classes. These postgraduate programs can help students master the art of college writing and studying and can possibly help students boost their grades before applying to college.

You will have an appreciation for college. If you are going to college because that's what your parents want you to do, then you may have a hard time appreciating what college has to offer you. A gap year may shed a new light on college. Consider the following situation: You take a year off from college to work full-time. You work long hours with very low pay. It won't take you very long to realize that in order to get ahead in life, you need a college degree. When your gap year is over, you will have a new appreciation for college and know that you really want to be there instead of just going because that is what is expected.

Remember that taking a gap year isn't for everyone. If you already know exactly what you want to major in and you think that you are mature enough for the work that comes along with college, then you probably want to continue on to college right after high school. Weigh out your options and pick the best decision for you. If you do decide to take a year off, it is best to apply to college during your senior year of high school. After you receive an acceptance to the college, you can request to have the acceptance deferred for one year. Some colleges will allow you to defer; others will request that you reapply. Be sure to make a plan and set goals for your gap year. Decide on an activity that will be beneficial for you in the long run such as volunteering in a foreign country, exploring different career paths, or improving your study skills. Whatever you decide to do, one thing is for certain: you will enroll in college a changed person.

Not Ready for College? What Now?

It’s May, and if you are the parent of a college-bound high school student, you are either recovering from, or in the midst of, the college search process. During this time, it might become clear to you that your child might not be entirely ready to embark on this next step in their education. This should not be immediate cause for concern, however, but rather conversation. There is another option for the wary pre-freshman: the gap year.

A gap year, or “year out”, is the British tradition of deferring college in favor of a year spent traveling, volunteering, interning and engaging in other forms of experiential learning. Recently, the trend of taking a gap year has been gaining popularity stateside, with more and more opting to take a year off before college. Colleges and universities are supporting this opportunity by making deferring school easier and in some cases, like Princeton, offering their own in-house gap year programs. In most cases, a simple letter to your child’s school of choice explaining their reasoning for taking a gap year is enough to secure their spot for the following school year.

There are many benefits for a student taking a gap year. Parents often list the following as changes they see in their children over the course of a year out:
• Maturation, self reliance and independence
• Recovery from academic burnout / Renewal in eagerness to learn
• Wider world view and global perspective
• Discovery of interests and passions through firsthand experience
• Ridding themselves of the travel bug or the desire to “do some things” before college
• Learning or gaining proficiency in a foreign language
• Real world experience before college
• Better avoid the risk of first year drop/fail out by providing the opportunity to refocus priorities and gain maturity

In this economic climate, taking a gap year can also be a wise financial decision. A gap year allows you more time to let your college savings mature, reapply for better financial aid packages and allow the federal stimulus money time to enter the bloodstream of the college aid programs.

So let’s assume your child is well suited for a gap year. “What now?” you may ask. In short: communication and research. Sit down with your child and speak to them about why they want to do a gap year and where they might want to spend their time. It also helps to have them write down a list of goals to help them focus.

Next, you and your child should look for reliable, structured volunteer or travel opportunities designed for young people. Idealist.org and TransitionsAbroad.com can be good resources for finding both domestic and international organizations. Be sure to research an organization carefully by personally speaking with the volunteer coordinator and asking for references. This will give you peace of mind as well as improve your child’s safety. You can also seek the help of guidance counselors or independent consultants (such as myself) who specialize in helping students and their families choose reputable gap year programs.

Set a budget, keeping in mind students are usually asked to pay a fee for volunteering overseas with organized programs. Be sure to factor in the “extras” like vaccinations, airfare, travel money and international health insurance. Don’t be shy in asking your child to contribute a certain portion of the budget themselves; either through a summer job or fundraising. This gives them a financial stake in their activities.

Try to guide your child without pressing upon them what you think they should do. Set some ground rules i.e. “You may not go to the Congo,” but be sure to allow your child the freedom to make their own decisions about how they want to structure their year out. This will not only empower them to be deliberate but will let them know you trust them to make adult choices.

Before you know it, your child will be off to school, matured from a year of unique experiences and ready to take full advantage of their college years!