The Pros of a Gap Year
Supporters say a gap year can be a great way for students to recharge their battery, mature, find clarity in their life and gain valuable experience, in essence giving them an edge over other students.
Supporters say volunteering abroad or in a field of interest provides students valuable experience that will give them the edge in the job market. They say equally as important, it helps clarify whether that is the path they want to pursue at all. That clarity, they say, provides a big benefit regardless of the decision, either saving them money in what could have been wasted tuition or fueling their motivation and excitement to return to school and pursue a given career.
Gap years, while not for everyone, can be an excellent experience for students who are feeling burned out, overwhelmed, and lacking direction.
They're also a good fit for those looking for adventure, for a chance to try out their potential academic major or career choice, or an opportunity for some real introspection -- to learn about one's self.
Students who take gap years overwhelmingly report positive, life-changing experiences.
Gap years that are structured and thoughtful can lead to much greater focus and diligence in college or university.
Students also find that they adapt to college life better since they have developed 'soft skills' that help in communication, teamwork, and adaptability.
A chance to mature before going back to school: Gap years can provide students the chance to learn responsibility on a different level. Whether they’re planning a trip around the world or working as a waitress, they’re going to be fending for themselves as an adult for the first time. This can be an advantage when they’re ready to start living and working on their own.
An opportunity to regroup: High School can be very stressful time. Between struggling to maintain their grades and searching for the right post-secondary path, many students feel burnt out by the time they graduate. Doing something besides school for awhile can provide a much-needed break.
A change of pace: They’ve never done anything before besides being a student. If they go right to college or university, nothing will really change. Spending a year doing something else will help them gain new perspective on life.
A chance to figure out what they want: Are they not sure yet what post-secondary pathway is exactly right for them at this point? A year off can help them think about it and sort things out.
Great Stories: Do they want their resume or post-secondary application to stand out? If they spend a year doing something unique, they can discuss it in their personal essay on how the experience changed them.
Save money: It’s no secret how expensive funding a post-secondary education can be. Depending on what they do during their year off, they might be able to save money.
The Cons of a Gap Year
Gap year opponents fear once students leave the educational setting and get a taste of the ‘real world’, they may never want to go back to the stress, structure and rigor of academic life. They say students who work, may start to enjoy making money as opposed to spending it on tuition. Often those students lose sight of the fact that further education is an investment that actually increases their earning power.
Opponents say without a clear cut plan, students who take gap years often end up wasting that time and falling further behind their peers, which can lead to frustration and stress for both the student and their family.
Even with a clear cut and properly executed plan, opponents say a gap year can be expensive, adding to student debt and sometime making college harder to afford.
Losing momentum: For some students, a year off can be a refreshing break that helps them feel ready to go back to school. However, it also takes them away from the classroom experience, so they might be a bit rusty (or reluctant) to return.
Being a year behind: A year off will put them a year behind their friends and further back on what can be, a long educational process.
Lose focus on future goals: Taking a year off and breaking the cycle of studying may make it difficult to keep their eyes on your long-term goals.
Lose Money: Some gap year experiences don’t require money (like working for a year) or are inexpensive (like teaching abroad for a year). But, others can be quite pricey and can be an added expense to an already costly post-secondary education.
Whatever they decide, make sure they take the time to think about what they would do for their time off and their reasons for it. Taking time off to learn about life and make money is great, in theory, but vegging out on their parents couch and partying away their savings may not get them the results they hoped.