Gap Year Research Paper

Each year, highschool graduates face the decision of furthering their education and career path through higher education. Throughout the majority of students educational careers, they historically and most likely have considered attending College because it’s the next step. Many choose to go straight into college the succeeding semester after graduating high school because of their belief that this will help set them up for future success by keeping them motivated and knowledgeable. While others hold the belief that a gap year is better because students who take a gap year have the chance to literally explore theworld at and will ponder what they want for themselves. This gap year is beneficial to students because they will have the time they

By taking a year off, students can learn more about themselves and explore their interests and disinterests so they can see what career paths spark interest in them. When a student takes a gap year, they have the opportunity to view themself from a different perspective and identify their own desires and needs. This, in turn, will make one of the single most important decisions in their life, choosing their lifetime career, much easier and less stressful. Also, by taking a year off before going to college can save students and their parents tons of money in the long run. Since college classes are rather expensive, students should be sure that they are in the right classes for their career path and not putting money into classes that will not benefit them or their future. Studies show that, “about 80 percent of students in the United States end up changing their major at least once… on average, college students change their major at least three times over the course of their college career” (College students tend to change majors when they find the one they really love), according to the National Center for Education Statistics. This shows that thousands of dollars are wasted in paying for unnecessary classes, unfinished classes, and classes that won’t benefit the student’s career choice. For example, my Aunt went to college as a business major; however, she soon realized that she hated business and later changed her major to financing halfway through her sophomore year. Because of this, my aunt spent six years in college, wasting her time and my grandmother’s money. However, if my aunt had taken the time to get to know what she truly wanted to pursue during a gap year before starting college, she could have saved herself and my grandmother time, money, effort, and stress. By taking a gap year, the student can take time to get