What is a Gap Year?
Allow us to fill you in on a little secret discovered by those smart kids in Australia and the UK: THE GAP YEAR. This is a period between high school and college (or college and the “real world”) when you spend a year pursuing personal interests. Taking a gap year isn’t extremely common in the US but it’s catching on. Common activities include traveling, volunteering, or working abroad.
Why gap it? When again are you able to disappear for a year? The next thing you know you have careers, mortgages, and the real world. Before you get dragged down, you need to get out and explore yourself and the world.
Why else?
- A lot of people have no idea what they want to study in college. Experiencing new cultures or ideas might pique an interest and point you in the right direction for when you return to school.
- If you think you’re interested in a particular career, this provides a good opportunity to explore the field before you commit to it. Plus you gain considerable experience that you can’t receive in a classroom.
- You’d be surprised at how much you can learn about yourself when you step outside conventional boundaries. Concentrating on an interest and putting yourself in a different setting also helps you to mature and develop confidence.
- If you undertake a work venture, you can save up for college.
- It helps to avoid the burnout some students experience going into their fifteenth or sixteenth consecutive year of school. Taking a break can help refresh your energy before heading back to the classroom.
