What Is The Gap Year Essay

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The Gap Year: Find Yourself Attending college is one of the vast American dreams. High schools push students through the process of applying for and preparing for post-secondary education. Colleges encourage students to start after high school and explore career options through general classes. They learn accountability and responsibility, and sometimes a cultural appreciation through study abroad. A focus on GPA over experience has become a cultural norm. However, gap years can provide several more benefits to students than just a normal college experience. Although there are benefits to both, gap years provide new life experiences that prepare students for their future. After thirteen years in school, students that are unsure of their future plans deserve to take a gap year after their high school graduation to explore their interests, travel the world, or volunteer for a good cause. A gap year is a year that students can take off between high school and college. According to Michelle Baran, the point of the gap year is to “volunteer or travel, or even do both, to expose themselves to meaningful life experiences outside of their comfort zone” (Baran). Gap years first began sometime in the 1960s or 70s, but there is no official date of origination (Baran). Gap years are, in an essence, the successor of the …show more content…

Students can apply and defer their admittance, because colleges are receptive of gap years. Instead of paying for general classes, students can explore careers outside of school to get a better feel for what they want to do. Gap years provide real-life situations that encourage students to get in the right frame of mind before entering post-secondary education. Through travel, they can also learn to appreciate the diverse cultures of the world before meeting them on campus. As discussed, students can take

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