“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less travelled by, and that has made all the difference,” said Robert Frost. The choice of a future career is amongst the most important decisions an individual makes in his or her life. Students take gap years after graduating from high school and before entering college . While it has been a longtime tradition for high school graduates in Europe to take an escape from education, this practice is becoming a popular and accepted custom in the United States. Taking a break from education can be beneficial for those who are unsure or hesitant about their goals, dreams, and aspirations for the future. A year-long hiatus from education allows high school graduates to travel the world and volunteer around the globe. Based off of student testimonies, a year-long recess does not make it a hard transition back to college. For those who have not decided on their ideal academic interests, career goals, and personal aspirations, a gap year is an incredible opportunity to discover new hobbies, talents, and places.
Taking a year off is a wonderful time to see the world, make new friends, find inspiration, develop different perspectives, and help one understand the diversity of the world on a deeper level. Many colleges routinely let their students postpone the start of their freshman year, “Harvard is so high on the benefits of a gap year that it’s been proposing this opportunity in their acceptance letters for decades” (Home at Harvard). Colleges love to see applicants who have worked to make a difference in this world, hence taking a gap year can be another chance for students to improve their resumes such that they can improve their chances of being accepted into their dream college. For ex...
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...and build a significant resume before they enter college.
During a gap year, students can ditch the textbooks and pursue interests that were not achievable when they were studying for multiple AP classes and exams. Taking a gap year is the best antidote for academic burnout. It is a great time for those who are interested in a desire for increased self-awareness. With a gap year one will experience increased maturity, greater global awareness, and greater self-confidence. Students will fall in love with the world when discovering new cultures and learning a new language if they choose to travel. It is also a chance for them to interact and experience life outside of the city they grew up in if they choose to participate in charity work. When a gap year is used productively, it can add many life experiences in a way that one likely could not have otherwise achieved.
But do kids really belong in college after twelve years of schooling? “The National Association for College Admission counseling has suggested that the practice of taking a gap year is on the rise.” (collegeparents.org) A gap year, is when students take a year off college. What the student decides to do in this case, is completely up to them. This topic is debatable for me. I think that students will slack off if they get that one year off. The gap year is just like a summer vacation, only extended. Students struggle to get back into the habit of going to high school, so I believe they would do the same even if the situation was going to college. A year off may be a good thing for some, just as it probably would have been for Linda’s son. However, I do believe that taking so much time off would be a huge problem for most of
In Chris Kelly’s article “Viewpoint: Gap years are good for students –and for schools” published in USA Today, he shows bias throughout his article. Chris Kelly continuously shows bias in his claim during the course of the article when he is saying that gap years are beneficial to students and colleges. Kelly only displays the positive aspects of taking the gap year rather than looking at both sides. In Kelly’s article he uses Malia Obama as a positive role model of a successful gap year student by acknowledging, “Maila Obama’s decision to defer enrollment from Harvard last spring brought renewed attention to alternative options” (1). Maila Obama, however, is not the only positive support Kelly used to convince students and parents that gap
According to current estimates approximately 75 percent of college students are now nontraditional students – older than 25, attending school part time, and having delayed entry or reentry into college for a variety of personal reasons. Post secondary education is needed by such students to develop their careers and to acquire new skills and knowledge in a global society where they are likely to have longer life spans than did workers in the past. This trend is not restricted to North America; it is a worldwide phenomenon.
When students are in high school, is the end, they are finally free after 13 years of schooling, but for many people graduating from high school is just the beginning. After graduating from high school, students are faced with the difficult decision of whether or not to continue on with their education. And if they do decide to continue on with their education, what form of education will they choose. There are a variety of different options open to students each accompanied by their own pros and cons. These options include; no school, 4-year university, or 2-year community college.
The world around us is forcing us to grow up faster than it used to and I wanted to hold on to my youth a little longer. There is a quote that states “In life it is important not to get too comfortable” (Unknown). After high school it’s easy for a lot of kids to just take a year off or go to community college because it’s the “comfortable” thing to do.
From my experience most people think they know what a gap year is, some of those who think they know, infact have a skewed idea of what a gap year is. So, for the sake of everyone being on the same page, let 's go over a typical gap year; a gap year is a time that graduating high schoolers take off between graduation and when they enroll in college. The amount of time they take off varies, but most commonly around a year is taken off. There are many reasons that make a gap year a good idea for someone, such as: needing a break from school to “reset” in a way or not knowing what you want to do for a career and instead of jumping into college and working for a degree that you likely won 't use. In fact only 27% of college grads have jobs related
This includes just working, volunteering travelling the world, and many more different experiences. The options are endless. If the average postgraduate enters the working world afterwards, it would allow them to explore the careers that are available. Often, they start off with an entry-level position which allows them to gain responsibility and learn how to control their finances better. More common than not, post graduates often devote their year off of school to volunteer work around the nation and world. This allows the students to experience different cultures throughout the nation and world. “Compared with people that do not volunteer, the odds of being ‘very happy’ rose 7% among those who volunteered monthly and 12% for people who volunteer every two to four weeks”(). This shows that volunteering can greatly improve people’s well being. This is a great activity to participate in while taking a gap year because volunteering stimulates people’s brains, encourages happiness, and looks great on job and college applications. It helps provide a sense of responsibility while allowing students to indulge in certain activities that they enjoy. In addition, the satisfaction they feel from knowing that they are helping
The completion of high school is the beginning of adult life. Entitlement to public education ends, and young people and their families are faced with many options and decisions about the future. The most common choices for the future are pursuing vocational training or further academic education, getting a job, and living independently.
You’re coming back from a well needed break from school and you feel invigorated and ready to start. The first few weeks are the hardest to adjust to because your brain hasn’t been used throughout the break. The dilemma with breaks, such as summer break, is that one loses valuable information from past academic courses that are essential to ones progress towards higher education. Imagine a whole year without learning and then coming back to intense rigorous classes at a University. Seniors at high schools over the nation have the opportunity of taking a year off before committing to a college. This is known as a Gap Year; instead of directly enrolling into a University many students feel the need to take a break before starting their education towards their future career. Yes, a Gap Year does sound pleasing and beneficial, but in the long run it can be damaging towards ones future. Students should be aware of the ramification a Gap Year brings, such as, the possibility for enrolling in a graduate school is lower, academic growth is reduced, and social obstacles become present.
Depending on how its used, gap years have costs as well. While students can benefit financially from their break, when they come back, however, they could be faced with peculiar expenses, especially those who participate in foreign study...
A gap year is a time for teens to take off between high school and college. A gap year is used to travel, work, volunteer or study. In general, a gap year has many advantages. This year out of a school is a good time for students to explore the world and gain valuable life skills and experience while learning to be independent. Teens in the U.S. should adopt the British custom of taking a gap year between high school and college in order to gain perspective on personal values and career goals as well as gaining needed life experiences without the pressure and expectations of a school environment. A gap year is a time for students to become independent and learn a sense of responsibility before entering into university life.
A gap year is a period, typically one academic year, taken by a student as a break between secondary school and higher education. Many students consider taking a gap year because they are longing to get work experience and be sure of a career path before they make the decision to head off to college. During those one or two years off before heading to college, students have the opportunity to travel the world, work, experience different jobs, or simply take a break from school. Some parents do not agree with their young adults taking a break from school because they worry that their child will not do something productive with their free time. Although students taking a gap year run the risk of becoming inattentive or accustomed to making some quick cash, and not returning to school, there are numerous benefits for a young adults. young adults to take a gap year off before heading to college; for instance, many colleges want students that are mature and have some work experience.
Thus according to me looking at all these options, GAP year is indeed a really good option for students. It thus gives them an option to do things, experience it, which they probably won’t do again in their lives. Also different venues get open, choice of their majors, minors, their future becomes clear. The students realise what they what to do, how they are and what is their motto in life. GAP year indeed makes a student educated not only in one way but touches upon several different things.
And they develop a fuller sense of themselves, undefined by their friends, family, or culture.Gap year is, basically, a half-step out into the world and offers students an opportunity to understand that they can handle it just fine. It makes the later post college change from one thing to another less scarring. The gap year gives a student the opportunity to find out what they want to do do in life and gives them time to think about the major of their choices some students leave high school with one major and then take a gap year and come back with a different major. Gap Year graduates report that through the summary of their new experiences they were better able to identify universities that fit their personalities and career desires to do great things. Finally, while we don 't suggest this as a first or more important, many students do report that taking a Gap Year enabled them to get into better
According to “Facts About A Gap Year,” the definition of a gap year is “a break typically taken between high school and college that might include travel, work, study, volunteering, or research.” Several colleges encourage their admitted students to take a gap year before starting their freshman year. Done the right way, a gap year can help students excel, while if a student completely puts aside their responsibilities, it can plummet their success in college. Students who take a gap year after high school not only mature, but also are prepared for college and the rest of their lives.