Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Is a gap year beneficial
Pros and cons with gap year to college
Is a gap year beneficial
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Exploring the Gap Year: Pros and Cons of Delaying College Enrollment
Pablo Abreu and Sidney Rodriguez
Miami Dade College Adolescence is a time of transitioning from childhood to adulthood. During this time, we face the questions of who we believe we are and what we plan on doing with our lives. We deal with the stressors of puberty and sexual maturation, as well as the cognitive ability to recognize our own thought process (Feldman, R. S. 2018). These characteristics feed into the pressure of this developmental stage because above all these changes, this period is also the time we think about college and what we choose to study for our future career. The discussion of taking a year off before college has been gaining attention in the U.S. and now the American Gap Association (AGA) has conducted national surveys to see the statistical effects among adolescents who choose the gap year option versus those who do not. Marcia’s identity status theory concerning the moratorium identity plays best into why taking a gap year after high school graduation can be, both, beneficial
…show more content…
S. (2018). Discovering the life span.
Harder, B. (2006). The Credibility in Your Gap Year. (Cover story). U.S. News & World Report, 141(7), 98-99.
Hoe, N., PhD. (2015). American Gap Association National Alumni Survey(Rep.). Retrieved https://americangap.org/assets/2015%20NAS%20Report.pdf
KARKOUTI, I. M. (2014). EXAMINING PSYCHOSOCIAL IDENTITY DEVELOPMENT THEORIES: A GUIDELINE FOR PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE. Education, 135(2), 257-263.
Martin, A. J. (2010). Should Students Have a Gap Year? Motivation and Performance Factors Relevant to Time Out After Completing School. Journal Of Educational Psychology, 102(3), 561-576. doi:10.1037/a0019321
Press, H. Y. (2016, May 02). 5 things to know about a gap year, when students take time off. Retrieved November 15, 2017, from
Summer is known as the time where one can relax and escape from the hard work they have accomplished from the school year that has just past them. However, it is now being debated whether a “year-round” model would be a more appropriate choice for schooling. The year-round model allows students to have breaks more often, just for a shorter period of time; this meaning that the two-month long summer break would shorten and spread throughout the course of the year. Several just do not see the positive impact this change could have on them. The year-round model should be put into effect as it increases the student’s academic knowledge, it allows for students/ teachers to “recharge” and finally it makes transitions through school easier.
Human development is a highly complex lifelong process. Identity is a self-definition or sense of who one is, where one is going, and how one fits into society. It relates to our basic values that dictates the choices we make in life. It is considered that identity formation is a means of finding oneself, by matching one’s talent with available social roles. Crisis is a vital part in one’s development. It occurs in every stage of finding one’s self and without resolution, may lead to tension and role confusion. Dedicated and influential theorists such as Erik Erikson and James Marcia have contributed significantly to the broadening and understanding
This assignment’s main focus will be centred on Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development, which consists of eight stages however only the fifth stage ‘identity versus role confusion’ will be discussed. Aspects such as identity crises, exploration of autonomy whilst developing a sense of self, factors that may contribute to identity formation as well as the successful/unsuccessful resolution of this particular stage will be discussed thoroughly. Erikson’s theory was also expanded by James Marcia, who identified certain identity statuses. The discussion will then progress to the psychosocial development of a case study based on Anna Monroe in connection to the difficulties she faced, such as gender, sexuality, peer pressure,
And yet, children still need a break from school to participate in extracurricular activities, as well as to socialize. Studies have shown that students lose a sizeable amount of knowledge from the previous year. Since the students have lost a good chunk of what they learned the previous year, teachers have to spend “a month or more reviewing material students have already been taught” (onlinecollege.org 2). An entire month out of the eight that students spend in school is not used for its full potential, and teachers have to compromise their lesson plans to accommodate this review month. If schools began to take shorter, more frequent breaks, students and teachers alike would not have to combat loss material
Mallinson, Anne. “From School to Further Education: Student and Teacher Views of Transition Support and Drop-out.” Post School Psychological services 2009: 33-39. Rpt. Vol. 26. Print.
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
The traditional education ladder from prekindergarten to college in the United States of America is now changing and there is a new spin on planning one’s future. Danielle Woods, a writer for Today MSNBC, stated that, “A growing number of high school seniors are balking at riding the academic conveyer belt from preschool all the way to the university. They’re burnt out. Or not quite ready. Or they want to explore a few interests before deciding what to study in college” (Woods). The time off she is referring to is Gap Year, an amount of time from six months to two or three years to experience life. A Gap Year can be seen as traveling time, participating in Gap Year programs, volunteer work, or simply working to save for college. Gap Year is time for one who is not ready or accepted to college to preparing oneself for the future, the gain skills and experience. Not only is Gap Year effective, but now colleges and employers are pushing high school students to take time off. Gap Year should be an American tradition because it helps one succeed.
A gap year is a break from education, although it sounds crazy but It can be taken at any time, but most often occurs after graduating high school and before starting
In the last year of high school most students are wrapping up the remaining credits needed to graduate. There usually consist of one or two major core classes and the rest are electives or early dismissal. Once the year is finished, all that’s left is to walk across the stage. By taking a year off of school many of the students will have second thoughts about going to college. Many students would get white college jobs such as a cashier or a retailer, as they work and college large sums of money. They believe they have a nice sum of money where going to school isn't needed. AS half of the students are getting jobs. One fourth of the students are getting in to trouble. By the time most high school student graduate you are b...
James Marcia’s theory of identity formation was based on Erik Erikson 's “psychosocial stage theory” (Diessner, 2008) identity versus identity confusion. The foundation of which he used to identify, and divide one’s
Colleges and universities such as Harvard encourage students by suggesting students to take time off before they start school (Kern, 2010). The current President’s daughter Malia Obama is taking a gap year before Harvard and more students have been encouraged from this. Taking a gap year differs in the student. If one does not plan thoroughly and prepares for the gap year, the results could be devastating, but if planning is done right, students excel
Jones, Andrew. "Why Young People Take a Gap Year." Review of Gap Year Provision. N.p.: n.p., n.d. 37+. Print.
There have been several good arguments concerning taking of a gap year before college or university and after university. A few people are lucky to have taken the gap year especially because after exams, many students are often sick and tired of books and exams. Traditionally the gap year has been defined as the one year taken off by students between school and college to explore and discover the world, and career opportunities.[1] The gap year being taken by students has been in existence for decades and quite often has been remarked to be of great help to the students. Media attention has given the gap year perception of being a powerful and fashionable trend. There are various reasons for critically evaluating the vast, employment, personal, and academic benefits tied to the gap year experience.
In the professional or career world, a gap year is a year before going to a college or a University And after finishing high school or taking a year off before going into graduate school after completing an as an undergraduate. Taking a year off is also known as a sabbatical year. During this time students may work at advanced courses, extra related to school courses and non-related
Another reason to take a year off before college is that it can help one find his or herself. Taking a year of...