Although gap years between high school and college are not as common in the U.S., they are very popular among students in places like Europe. This may seem surprising to us, but it makes perfect sense why one would choose to take a year off between 12th grade and freshman year of college. After spending four years balancing various extracurriculars, classes, studying, family, part-time jobs, and more, you might feel like jumping right into college is a bit overwhelming. Maybe you need a break from the constant pressure of your classes and tests, or you’re still not sure which major to choose. If this is the case, a gap year might be the perfect solution for you!
Better Performance in College 
"Gap Year: preparati a viviere l'anno piú bello
della tua vita!" by Viaggio Routard is licensed
under CC BY 2.0
Many parents fear that if their child stops taking classes and going to school, they will become lazy. This is not the case at all. In fact, students who take gap years tend to be more mature than their peers by the time they enter college. According to 2015 research conducted by Temple University in conjunction with Gap Year Association, the six top reported outcomes of a gap year were personal, rather than career or academic-oriented. Ninety-seven percent of alumni who responded indicated that their gap year experience increased their maturity, while 96 percent said it increased their self-confidence (Writers).
First-year classes in college can actually be easier thanks to your gap year, especially if you take that time to personally acquaint yourself with the courses you plan on taking. You’ll be able to pick up new languages much quicker if you've already spoken with native speakers. Humanities and other courses can also be easier after all those museum and historical landmark visits!
Living Independently
Whether you choose to travel on your own or with a program, you will learn essential skills like grocery shopping for yourself, budgeting, healthy eating, navigating public transit, etc. All of these skills are crucial for college and adult life in general! If you choose not to work with a program, you can always do a work holiday option. Thereby having the opportunity to not only make money but immerse yourself deeply into another culture for a longer period of time than would be possible if you were merely backpacking. 
Image by Steve Buissinne from Pixabay
Establishing Worldwide Connections 
Image by Voy Zan from Pixabay
One of the best things about taking a gap year is the opportunity to meet new people. Building lifelong friendships with people from various countries can help you navigate unknown places and refine your language-speaking skills, and those friends will likely welcome you with open arms if you return! Learning how to make friends in an unfamiliar place with unfamiliar people is a skill that will come in handy in college as well.
Endless Possibilities
There are a plethora of activities to choose from when it comes to structuring your gap year. There are many ways to stay productive and busy, so there is no need to worry about doing nothing or playing video games in your mom’s basement all day. There is a wide range of possibilities (even on a budget) from backpacking in Asia to landing an internship in a different state.
No Money, No Problem 
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A common myth surrounding gap years is that you have to have a lot of money to be able to take a whole year off from school. However, this is not necessarily the case. Some students use gap years as an opportunity to save up money for college and future living expenses. Others may choose to spend their time volunteering abroad with a program that helps cover living costs. That’s right, some programs pay you to take a gap year! Volunteering can help you gain a new perspective on the world. In fact, they can help students give back to their communities throughout their lives. Many gap year students become philanthropists when they are older due to their global perspective.
Countless Traveling Options
International travel might be your dream, but there are also many exciting places in the Americas you can visit! You could go to Canada and practice your French, an American national park to enjoy nature, Brazil to learn Portuguese, Mexico to eat delicious food, and so much more! Traveling to any new place is an enriching experience that will teach you new things. 
Image by skeeze from Pixabay
As long as you get out of your comfort zone, try new things, make new friends, and live independently for what’s likely the first time, a gap year will be well worth your time! According to GoOverseas.com, more than 90% of gap year alumni say that their gap year experiences helped them gain respect for other customs and cultures (Perez).
Keeping It Local 
Image by Bella H. from Pixabay
If you choose to stay at home during your gap year, there are still plenty of options for you! After all, travel can be daunting and not everyone wants to do it. With more and more programs appearing online, you can do all types of jobs remotely! From teaching music to marketing on social media, you will likely be able to find a job that you enjoy, can do online, and can help you save money for college! You can also get involved in your community by volunteering for local organizations. Furthermore, you will have the opportunity to learn new skills. Have you been wanting to learn how to play an instrument? How to code? Now is your chance!
Conclusion
Overall, taking a gap year, though not common, has numerous benefits. It can help you grow a new set of skills you didn’t know you needed for college, help build a global network of new friends, assist you in choosing the right career, and provide you with experiences that will last a lifetime. If you would like to further research gap years, there are links and resources below to aid you in your search for ideas below.
Resources for Gap Year Programs
- The Best Gap Year Programs
- Gap Year Scholarships and Grants
- How to Find Grants for Your Gap Year
- Ways to Make Money During Your Gap Year
- What to Do on a Gap Year With No Money
“Does Taking a Gap Year Increase the Ceiling for Students?” NYU Steinhardt, 23 June
2017, counseling.steinhardt.nyu.edu/blog/gap-year-after-high-school/.
Perez, Olivia Christine. “Why You Should Take a Gap Year After High School.” Go
Overseas, 04 June 2020,
www.gooverseas.com/blog/why-should-take-gap-year-after-high-school.
Writers, Staff. “Taking a Gap Year: Pros & Cons and How to Apply to College.”
AccreditedSchoolsOnline.org, AccreditedSchoolsOnline.org, 17 July 2020,
www.accreditedschoolsonline.org/resources/taking-a-gap-year-before-college/.
Thank you for your insights and information Jasmine! I love sharing these Tutor Talk articles with my students!
ReplyDeleteA Gap Year could be just what some students need when they are not quite ready for college right after high school, or unsure of their major yet. I really appreciate your research and insight on this topic. Some definite pros are increased maturity for college, independent living skills like grocery shopping, being able to travel, or even being able to stay home and learn a new skill like coding. A Gap Year could really help some students be better prepared for college and life!
ReplyDeleteThis is a very interesting read for me because I gap year is not something that I considered when transitioning from high school to college, and not something that I think a lot of students think about. I feel that people in general are always rushing into the next chapter of their lives, but sometimes don't think about what can help them in the long run, and I do think that a gap year is one of those things. Forcing yourself to be a part of the real world makes you grow up very quickly, as you said student reported, feeling more mature, and that is a huge part of being ready for college and all that comes after it. Thank you for sharing this information and I hope that some people ready this information and consider if a gap year is a good choice for them.
ReplyDeleteIt is surprising that it’s so common to take a gap year in countries outside the U.S.; however, I do see the benefits of doing so. I think jumping straight into college without knowing your major can be a poor decision. There’s no need to spend so much money on college if you don’t even know your pathway yet. Although I think getting a college education is such an important opportunity for people to have, I also recognize that not everyone needs a college education to be successful. Thank you for sharing your resources and works cited!
ReplyDeleteGreat information! Taking a gap year can also allow students the opportunity to explore careers opportunities before committing time and money to that major in college. Are you interested in becoming a lawyer? Try spending a gap year working in a law office to see if it is something that you are truly interested in doing. Many students can truly begin to see things they are passionate about by spending more time in that field before college.
ReplyDeleteA gap year is exactly what some students need. Traveling and experiencing other cultures is one of the best educational platforms in the world. A student can mature by working, volunteering, traveling, and learning more about themselves and the world around them. I think it is a definite choice that should be considered by those who are not ready to go to college.
ReplyDeleteI never considered taking a gap year between high school and college. I was afraid that if I stopped going to school, that I would never want to go back. I had to learn to live on my own, work full-time, and be an adult in general while I was in school. I was able to manage it. However, I teach a lot of students who might not be able to, especially those who had to work extra hard to keep up their grades. This has opened my eyes to options for students not quite ready to go to college. I think a student who participated in an internship or volunteered at a job for which they were interested could probably keep many students from changing majors multiple times throughout college. Many major changes result in needing additional credits, which cost time and money.
ReplyDeleteThis post was very enlightening for me since I never took a gap year, nor did my peers, when I graduated high school in 1990. Yes, I am indeed middle aged, but if I could do it over again, I feel as though a gap year would have been beneficial. The idea of taking a break between high school and college, trade school, the military, etc. seems like a great opportunity to explore the world, locally or abroad. Taking a job after high school graduation to gain experience, earn and save money, learn how to create a budget and live within that budget, and meet new people would certainly add to your world-view and likely result in a person taking their next phase in their life a bit more seriously. Thank you for posting this and educating me and others about the many benefits of a gap year.
ReplyDeleteA gap year can be exactly what some students need. I did not take a gap year between high school and college, and I felt that continuing straight through was the best option for me. It was enlightening to read the defense for taking a gap year, though.
ReplyDeleteA gap year is not all it is advertised to be. It can have many positive benefits for helping students grow and mature. There are several positive attributes such as travel, learning a new language in a new country, helping young people live more independently, and establish a global network. Although it is not common, with the average age of college students on the rise, a gap year can be very beneficial for students to work and make money or have an experience they will never forget.
ReplyDeleteI have seen many students take a successful gap year. It allows them to mature and see something else besides the constant pressure of school. It is the equivlaent of a professional taking a sabbatical.
ReplyDeleteI think 2020-2021 would be a great year for students to embrace the gap year. If they really felt the need maybe enroll halftime in online classes. I think I would have encouraged students to travel before the pandemic, now students need to make the best decisions for their future and if going straight into a career is best for them, then take the gap year seeing that so many schools are closing due to spread of C-19.
ReplyDeleteI think a gap year is an excellent plan for some students. There are students who have set goals and plans, they know excellently what they want to be in life and are ready to begin their journal. There are some students who are not sure and really need a break from classes and homework. They need time to relax their mind, to get a breath of fresh air and feel as they have a new beginning when they decide to pursue their career in the upcoming year.
ReplyDeleteTerry Moore, December 12, 2020
DeleteI think a gap year is an excellent plan for some students. There are students who have set goals and plans, they know excellently what they want to be in life and are ready to begin their journal. There are some students who are not sure and really need a break from classes and homework. They need time to relax their mind, to get a breath of fresh air and feel as they have a new beginning when they decide to pursue their career in the upcoming year.
From 18-22, psychologically speaking you change so much. Taking a Gap year to go travel and become more cultured to better yourself is such a great idea. Research hostels and cheap ways to travel and you can see the world very inexpensively if you take on the culture around you.
ReplyDeleteI think taking a gap year sounds like a great, non-traditional choice for high school graduates. It can help young adults build confidence, learn autonomously, grow in maturity, and have time for self-discovery. As a parent myself, I can see why many parents would be opposed to this unconventional approach to self-education. However, it could really benefit those who need more time to figure out their career path, and get a taste of "adulting."
ReplyDeleteRemember gap years are intended to give students a break from academics to discover themselves and consider what kind of education and career they want to pursue but gap years take many forms and can involve doing paid work, completing an internship, volunteering, or traveling.
ReplyDeleteGreat resources there for anyone considering alternate options in life.
ReplyDelete