Take a Gap Year

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“Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore,” said Andre Guid (Good Reads). A gap year, by definition, is a year that one spends traveling, working, etc., before continuing one’s studies. Studies have actually shown that students who take a gap year have had higher GPAs than what was predicted for them from their high school grades (Fox Business). Students can use a gap year to gain independence and confidence, learn of new career opportunities, and really find themselves while gaining new and exciting experiences. Gap years are more common in countries overseas, like England. British school systems are pretty different from the United States schools. The British education system has two major levels, primary and secondary school (Collyer and Dunn 2). Children start primary school at about six years old and finish at about eleven years old. After primary school, they attend secondary school from age eleven to sixteen years old. When secondary school ends, British students have the option to continue their education with college, ranging from age sixteen to nineteen. To even further their education, students have the opportunity to go on to university; in the time between college and university is when most students take a gap year. The United States schools have three major schools, elementary, middle, and high school. The United States school systems also start at about six years old, when the children go to elementary school. When elementary school is completed, at about eleven, students continue on to middle school. Middle school is three years long and ends when most kids are fourteen. After middle school, there is high school where kids go for four years and end when they are eighte... ... middle of paper ... ...14. Gove, Philip Babcock. "Gap Year." Webster's Dictionary. Springfield, MA: G. & C. Merriam. Merriam- Webster. Web. Holmes, Bradford. "Decide If a Gap Year Makes Sense for You." US News. U.S.News & World Report, 8 July 2013. Web. 09 Mar. 2014. Katz, Gillian. "Gap Year Advice: 3 Great Reasons And 3 Terrible Reasons to Take Time Off Before College." Huffington Post Teen. Huffington Post. Web. Kernn, Rebecca. “7 Questions to Ask When Considering a Gap Year.” US News. US News and World Report. Web. 10 Mar. 2014 O'Shea, Joe. "More Students Should Take Gap Years before Going to College (essay) | Inside Higher Ed." InsideHigerEd.com. 16 Jan. 2014. Web. 09 Mar. 2014. Sutherland, Paige. "Colleges Offer Students a Paid Year Off." Star News [Wilmington] 15 Mar. 2014, 10A sec.: n. page. Print. Harries, Jack. University—Good or Bad? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eawg6khLKwg

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