Is a "gap year" a good idea?

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by Kizmet, Jun 23, 2015.

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  1. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

  2. Neuhaus

    Neuhaus Well-Known Member

    I think a well planned gap year is a good idea. But the key there is planning.

    All of my classmates from high school who took a gap year never went to college. A friend of mine (who was a swimmer in HS) took that year to get very fat and master every video game he ever owned.

    That said, I think if I had taken a year to work full time as a Substance Abuse Counselor and held off attending UofS I likely never would have gone to college for psych (and probably would have saved a boat load of tuition money). Throw in a little travel there and I likely never would have felt compelled to join the Navy.

    I'm not saying I regret my time at UofS or my time in the Navy, mind you. But both decisions were consequences of feeling pressured to attend college straight out of high school and the notion that leaving college, for anything longer than a summer break, put me into a class of failures (it would make me a dreaded "drop-out") damned to a life of menial work certainly impacted my choices.

    That said, if one or both of my kids came to me just before high school graduation and wanted to take a gap year, I wouldn't be immediately opposed. But I would insist upon some sort of plan.

    Want to travel? Great. Why not take a semester at sea sort of thing and knock out some electives while you hit the road. Want to work? Cool. Why not score some entry level work in the industry you're thinking about. Want to take advantage of learning that isn't college level? That's cool, too. There are flight schools that do a full-time six month program for a whole slate of certificates. There are culinary schools that offer a one year program. There are sailing schools. Go learn how to weld. Learn how to fix cars. Go figure out French. Heck, here's five grand from the savings account I started when you were born, go start a business.

    Basically, make it a productive year of growth.

    Wanna sit in my basement and hang out with friends for a year? No. Not an option.

    I mentioned this a while ago to a co-worker who told me that I was exceptionally "liberal" and she didn't believe in "free range parenting." Neither am I. But I also kind of think that my role shifts drastically when my kids hit 18. At that point I can't really be in the business of forcing them to do stuff. I need to just try to encourage good decisions on their part.

    Is that really a radical concept?
     
  3. Ted Heiks

    Ted Heiks Moderator and Distinguished Senior Member

    I'm not sure about a gap year between high school and college (I didn't take one), but a gap year between college and grad school is a good idea.
     
  4. TEKMAN

    TEKMAN Semper Fi!

    If the one is graduating from high school and earning a Bachelor degree as the same time, then it is a good idea to take a year off. What's about joining the Military Reserve? Spending the first year for training, maybe you bank some credit for college and some money for college too.
     
  5. Neuhaus

    Neuhaus Well-Known Member

    That's a very interesting point. My HS best friend's little brother went into the National Guard a week after he graduated. Spent that whole year in Basic, AIT and on a six month (voluntary) deployment. Then he enrolled in CC when he came home (while collecting unemployment).

    Never occurred to me to consider that a "gap year" but it sounds like it actually was.
     
  6. JP007

    JP007 Member

    I've known a few ppl who've taken 'gap yrs,' a gap btwn HS and college. However, these were all Ivy Leaguer types and used that one year to do structured volunteer abroad type programs. At the end of the day, they all benefited from it. If you're taken a year off just to take a year off, doesn't sound like a good plan.
     

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