While many students head straight to college after high school, others want to go through a gap year. This gives them time off academically to figure out what they want for their future. Some travel, while other work odd jobs, trying to figure out what is next for them.
What are the benefits of having a Gap Year?
- Many schools will allow students to defer their admission so that they can experience a gap year. This includes Harvard University, New York University, and even the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
- It allows students a chance to recharge, after spending so much time studying. Students can walk away from the library and use this time to refocus on their lives and figure out where they want to go next.
- You can experience a lot of different things during your gap year. You may decide to travel overseas (or even take a road trip across the United States). Not only that, but you may use this time to work a few different jobs to see what you might enjoy doing for the rest of your life. You may volunteer to get your feet wet and learn what it is like to do the job that you want to do.
- This can be helpful on your resume. If you volunteered, worked, or learned special skills during your gap year, you can apply them to your resume which can only help you when you go looking for your dream job.
- It may also help them save money to put toward college. College is quite expensive so, by taking a gap year, students can work full-time and save a decent amount of money to put toward college. This may allow them to focus on their studies while they are in school instead of trying to work full-time and go to school full-time.
- With the environment that we live in, many are taking gap years to avoid the coronavirus. They want to experience college in a classroom, not just online so they hope to start taking classes as soon as they can get back into the classroom.
What are the cons of having a Gap Year?
- Many lose focus on schoolwork completely and never return to college. Many students need to go straight from high school to college to continue to their goals. Many take a year off and end up never going to college. It is too hard for many to get back in the swing of schoolwork after taking time off.
- If you do go back to school, your friends will already be a year ahead of you. This can be quite hard for many people. They are struggling to get back into schoolwork, only to see their friends doing well in college.
- It is also expensive to travel. While many want to spend their gap year traveling, this is often an unrealistic goal for many. They don’t have several thousands of dollars to waste on traveling when they could be putting it toward their education.
If you do decide to take a gap year, you don’t want to waste it. It is not an excuse to spend a year on the couch being lazy. It is a time to refocus your energy and learn more about yourself and what you plan to do for the future. Volunteer or work a few odd jobs to see what your options are. Spend some time traveling, so you can learn more about the world that you live in.
The important thing is that you are ready to return to college when the time comes. You can go back and start focusing on preparing for your future! Don’t hesitate to contact us today if you are struggling and need some extra help in school.