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The gap year: should high schoolers take time off before college?
The latest trend for high school graduates is to take a year off—called a gap year. Of course I might be biased because I am a teacher, but this does not sound like a good idea.
A news segment on the Today Show detailed students participating in constructive activities such as volunteering in a third-world country or backpacking in the mountains; however, I’m sure these are rare instances. The gap year sounds good in theory, but I suspect it backfires in many instances.
Reasons I think the gap year is not a good idea: 1. Students might get a job and decide they would rather have money now than wait four years to get a steady income. 2. They may not come back from the mountains. I can see hundreds of teens becoming mountain people. 3. This is just another year for parents to fund on top of college. 4. Many students will spend the gap year on a friend’s couch. 5. Some students will decide they enjoy their freedom. 6. The momentum of going to school is broken.
Enlighten me parents. If the gap year has worked for your young adult, please let me know.
Comments
By Kelly C.
April 24, 2008 10:32 PM | Link to this
One of my regrets is that I didn’t take a gap year. But I wish I’d taken mine between undergrad and grad school. Gap years for high school graduates does seem like it would slow the momentum. Seems like everyone is so excited to move away to college and make new friends and study things they’re interested in that you wouldn’t want to put that off! I did know someone, though, who didn’t get into Georgetown on his first try so he spent the year living in Germany picking up the language and traveling around. He got in on his second try, I’m convinced because he did this.
By Mia
April 25, 2008 9:37 AM | Link to this
Thanks Kelly. I’m just getting ready because I have a 15-year-old who is already talking about taking a year off to “find herself!”