A “gap year” used to be a rare occurrence reserved mainly for wealthy graduates who wanted to enjoy travel or adventure for a year between high school and college. Today, the gap year has become much more common – and it’s widely recognized as a great tool for some students to solidify their future plans or gain valuable life experience before jumping into the structure and rigor of university or the professional world.
So is your student a good candidate? Here’s what you need to know.
This content is sponsored by Northwest University.
What is a Gap Year?
A “gap year” is a period of time between high school and college where a student delays their enrollment to focus on specific goals or experiences. Some students take a gap year between college graduation and their entry into the professional world, though gap years are most common immediately after high school.
What Do You Do During a Gap Year?
It depends! Some schools offer structured “gap year” programs. Some students travel on their own. Some work to save money. Others have specific goals & experiences they want to achieve before they continue their academic studies.
Who Should Take a Gap Year?
There’s no prescriptive formula for who should or shouldn’t take a gap year. Here are some reasons a student may choose to postpone college enrollment:
- Academic burnout from the rigor of their high school academic program
- Lack of direction about their future
- Desire to gain volunteer/employment/internship/life experience
- Student needs a little time to gain emotional maturity before enrolling in college
- Student needs to save money for college
What Should A Student Do During a Gap Year?
A gap year should be intentional, with specific goals in mind. Otherwise, it has the potential to simply become a wasted year with no movement toward a student’s future development. A gap year isn’t a default state for students with no plans. Instead, it’s a planned, focused year. No matter your student’s reasons for taking a gap year, make sure they set goals (along with timelines for achieving them).
Gap Year: Yes or No?
Gap years are a great way for young adults to gain life experience, recharge after a rigorous high school experience, and gain direction about the future. And, executed well, they can help boost a student’s college application depending on the projects and experiences completed during the gap year. But gap years aren’t without risks. It can be difficult to re-enter the academic world after taking a year off, and students will be a year behind their peers which can be hard for some individuals to accept.
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Is your student trying to figure out their future? Look at Northwest University! Northwest University is a top-ranked Christian university with over 70 academic programs that is committed to our students’ success. Providing academic support, spiritual growth opportunities, and robust community, we have everything to help our students thrive as they grow academically, spiritually, and personally. Learn about the comprehensive supports Northwest University offers members of our community and schedule your campus visit today!
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