Many students have no idea what the term “gap year” means, yet it’s something that some teenagers are considering as a plan for after high school. It’s definitely not when you take a year off after high school and work at The Gap.
The real definition is the time that one takes off between the stages of their life. Usually people take time off from work or school to study abroad, volunteer or just travel in general. Some people work in orphanages, teach English to underprivileged children or perform other kinds of humanitarian service work.
Some programs give participants incredible life experience. Most high school students are fairly sheltered in their suburban life. This is such a big world and it’s a good idea for people to expose themselves to new cultures and different parts of the world. Plus, those who take a year off can always go back to school the following year. One year behind isn’t that big of a difference and having some experience from a gap year can enhance college applications.
As society has developed over time, the percentage of high school students who go to college has increased drastically. Students are pushed from as early as sixth grade to learn about college and prepare for it, right out of high school.
The way I feel about college is that, if you know what you want to study or even what you’re specifically interested in, it can be the best experience of your life.
However, for someone like me, who has many options to consider, college can be kind of intimidating. College tuition is expensive anywhere you go, and I wouldn’t want to spend tons of money on classes that I won’t need if I change my mind. Some people change their minds several times before they settle on a major and by then, who knows how many classes were needlessly taken. Taking a year off can provide some time to think and decide what career path to choose.
I’m not trashing the idea of college; many people love college and sometimes it gives the perfect structure to their life. However, since college is such a common expectation, there are some amazing experiences that people could be missing out on if they never took a chance and tried something unique.
