This year’s Junior are soon going to get very tired of the question “where are you going to go to college?” As soon as Junior year is over and Senior year begins that will be the question on everyone’s lips. However, there is no rule saying that you have to go to college immediately after high school. We often do things simply because they are “the next thing” to do. You may want to think about doing a Gap Year – take a year off between high school graduation and college to do a whole host of things. Here are several reasons to do a gap year.
- You want to see what different careers are like. The best way to see what a career actually entails is to do some job shadowing. If you are coming out of high school and you feel torn among several career options, taking the time to do some internships or apprenticeships may be a great way to spend a year.
- You want to build work skills. With as competitive as it has become to find jobs after college graduation, having a year of real world work experience may set you apart from other applicants. If you are in a financial position to be able to do unpaid internships, you’ll have no trouble finding opportunities to build great work skills. If you must work part time, try to fit in at least one day a week of job shadowing in areas about which you are more passionate.
- You know that you need to build your independence and self-discipline. Freshman year is a time when many students “go nuts” since they are out from under the watchful eyes of their parents. If you know that you are not prepared to handle yourself in a totally free environment, take a bit of time to get yourself together before having a terrible freshman year experience.
- You want to travel. The year before college is a fantastic time to see the world. Even if you have little spending money, you could find a job teaching English in another country, being a tour guide, or house sitting for a wealthy family. Travel may help you clarify your thoughts about what you want to do with your life before you invest tens of thousands of dollars in your education.
- You want to improve your college applications. Perhaps you’ve already been accepted to a school, but you would really like to go to a more selective institution. You can potentially use a gap year to improve your college application. You can focus on improving your AP, ACT and SAT test scores, and more importantly, having some in-depth extracurricular involvement that will distinguish you from other applicants.
- You are already in, but you need a break before starting. Many colleges will allow you to defer admission for a year if you would like to spend some time working or travelling prior to matriculation.
Now, here are some reasons not to do a gap year.
- You don’t want to lose academic skills. It is said that the first two months of school after summer break are spent reviewing material from the previous year. If you know that you are going to have a difficult time getting back in the academic groove, you may as well go to college right after high school.
- You feel ready and eager for the independence of college. Many students, more frequently female ones in my observation, find that they are ready to move on from the confines of high school and living with their parents. If you are ready to spread your wings, taking a gap year and living at home may be an absolute nightmare! If you are particularly ready to move on to the next level, you may consider graduating a year early! I know many students who have done this.
- You are planning on lots of education after college. If you are planning on becoming a doctor, earning a Ph.D. or doing post-doctoral research, you probably don’t want to add another year to when you will be able to begin your career. (Then again, if you want to avoid burn-out and the fear of regretting that you have only been in school you entire life, taking a gap year may in fact be a good idea!)
Thanks for reading. If you found this helpful, I would invite you to share it with your friends. –Brian Stewart