The Benefits of The Gap Year

1092 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Taking a gap year or not

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.

For those students who are not quite ready to make a decision affecting the rest of their lives, Gap Year is a chance for one to mature and discover oneself. If students are thrown into the college life to soon, through Woods studies has shown that “three out of five students who enter a public four-year college don’t manage to snag a degree within five years. And nearly 30 percent of all students who enter college don’t return for their sophomore year” (Wood). Not only was the educational outcomes unwanted, but similarly parents “…don’t see those (their) kids binge drinking or dropping out or doing any of those things that show you they are in the wrong place at the wrong time...

... middle of paper ...

...tudies 14.3 (2011): 341-357. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 4 Apr. 2011.

MacDonald, Jeffrey G. "'Gap Year' Before College Gives Grads Valuable Life Experience." USA Today 18 June 2008: n. pag. Web. 4 Apr 2011. .

Sparks, Sarah D., and Kay Dorko. "Scholars Suggest Adding 'Gap Year' May Encourage College Completion." Education Week 30.4 (2010): 12-13. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 4 Apr. 2011.

Stehlik, Tom. "Mind the gap: school leaver aspirations and delayed pathways to further and higher education." Journal of Education & Work 23.4 (2010): 363-376. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 4 Apr. 2011.

Wood, Danielle. "Should your child have a ‘gap year’ before college? ." Today Parenting 22 Apr 2008: n. pag. Web. 4 Apr 2011. .

Show More
Related

  • Liz Addison Two Years Are Better Than Four Summary

    1027 Words  | 3 Pages

    Self-discovery, preparation for life, effective education—this does not happen in college, insists Liz Addison in her work, Two Years Are Better Than Four. The best years of character growth essential in the transition to post-secondary education commonly take the form of college in the eye of the public; however, Addison believes this misconception is a result of community college not receiving fair consideration. Building a foundation for life begins most successfully at American community college, and as Addison puts it, “the philosophy of the community college, and I have been to two of them, is one that unconditionally allows its students to begin. Just begin” (212). In other words, a successful

    Read More

  • The College Dropout Boom Analysis

    972 Words  | 2 Pages

    According to Leonhardt, many people who drop out usually plan to go back eventually to get their degrees, but very few actually do. According to “Access to Attainment”, approximately 65% of all job openings will require postsecondary education by the year 2020 and “many of the long-standing programs and policies designed to foster access no longer supports the needs of today’s students” (Miller, et al. 5). The availability of higher education to the public has greatly changed over time, and thus the system and the programs must adapt as well to continue providing the best access and opportunities possible to individuals. “….a college education matters much more now than it once did” (Leonhardt). Lower-class students coming from low-income high schools might not have the same opportunities for learning as their upper-class counterparts, and as a result they are less likely to be accepted to elite universities. The education system is beneficial for many but it is flawed as well, especially in preparing high schoolers for college, which has the potential to greatly impact their

    Read More

  • Benefit Of Year Round School

    992 Words  | 2 Pages

    Students who are enrolled in a year-round school attend school for 180 days, the same number of days as students on a traditional calendar schedule. A year-round school calendar is formulated into nine-week quarters. Each quarter is separated by a three-week break called an intersession. There is still a summer vacation , but at four or five weeks, it is less than half that of a traditional school summer break, and does not provide enough time for students to completely forget what they learned all year. This solution actually reduces the problem. This school system has been proven to have positive effects on student achievement, especially for students with learning disabilities. The goal of year-round schooling is to create continuous or extended learning by adding hours to the days and days to the year. According to the benefits of year round education article, “Fifty years ago, most American households were supported by a working father, while mothers were expected to stay at home. However, the women’s movement of the 1970’s combined with the rise in divorce rate and the high cost of living, lead to a decline of stay at home mothers.”First, The shorter vacations implemented by year-round education and intersession are helpful to today’s working parents because it is a less expensive alternative to daycare or summer camps. Also, parents and teachers can schedule vacations

    Read More

  • Community College: The Beginning of a Success Story

    948 Words  | 2 Pages

    Society puts too much pressure on high school students to attend a 4-year college right after graduation. Though this is an attainable goal for some, a great majority of students are not fully prepared for the demands of college. 4-year schools require an incredible amount of maturity and preparation, leaving very little room for mistakes. Schools often overlook this aspect because their main goal is to get as many students into 4-year college as possible. This is a great goal to have however they send students off to college who aren’t ready to be handle the difficult of their courses while being away from home. My senior year of high school, my family and I came to the conclusion that we were not going to be able to afford four-year college tuition. This upset me at first because I felt like all my hard work and good grades went to waste. I dreaded the thought of going to community college because my who...

    Read More

  • Non Traditional College Students

    848 Words  | 2 Pages

    According to current estimates approximately 75 percent of college students are now nontraditional students – older than 25, attending school part time, and having delayed entry or reentry into college for a variety of personal reasons. Post secondary education is needed by such students to develop their careers and to acquire new skills and knowledge in a global society where they are likely to have longer life spans than did workers in the past. This trend is not restricted to North America; it is a worldwide phenomenon.

    Read More

  • Better Than College Is A Path To Better Than College?

    1638 Words  | 4 Pages

    First, what must be established is the distinction of higher education and college. Blake Boles, author of Better Than College, writes in his book the distinction between the two. He points out that college is one path to a higher education that ,essentially, is a prescribed path to success, but it does not guarantee higher education. Furthermore, he writes that: “a higher education is first and foremost the capacity to self-direct your life. Someone who has a higher education can define her own vision of success and pursue it, even in the face of difficulty”(Boles 4). There is a common misconception that college is the higher education path that leads to success. This is why parents hesitate to support their children in taking a gap year. They fear that their children will not be as productive or responsible for assignments. In contrast to that popular notion, gap years require more responsibility, if not more. However, in his book, Blake Boles answers the question of how to pursue higher education without college: “instead of following someone else 's curriculum, self-directed learners begin by asking themselves what fascinates and drives them.Their journey begins- and ends -with self-knowledge. Instead of taking full time classes, self-directed learners give themselves assignments that they find interesting, eye-opening and challenging” (Boles 5). With the absence of the responsibility to turn in assignments , prepare for presentation, comes a responsibility to construct one 's own curriculum. This leaves time for pursuing activities of interest. Instead of relying on professors to instruct one on how to go about learning, one must strive to network with people in the field of interest. They must seek mentorship in order to replace the guidance given by a professor. This takes a considerable amount of responsibility, which becomes very achievable since one understand the value

    Read More

  • Macro And Sociological Factors In Pursuing Post-Secondary Education

    661 Words  | 2 Pages

    Post-Secondary education can be a very important aspect to an individual’s life. Pursuing post-secondary education and obtaining a university degree opens up a wide range of high-paying career opportunities. However, there has recently been an increase in the number of students who do not finish their program and graduate. If a university degree gives us more job opportunities and a better salary, why are students leaving their universities and not finishing their degrees? There are many macro and micro sociological factors that students deal with every day. Macro sociological factors are events or predicaments that the individual has no control over (Steckley, 2014). Micro sociological factors are events that an individual does have control over (Steckley, 2014). The students who are leaving without finishing their degrees are faced with many social and economic problems that require their attention and have priority over school.

    Read More

  • A Gap Year: Just Say No

    3380 Words  | 7 Pages

    You’re coming back from a well needed break from school and you feel invigorated and ready to start. The first few weeks are the hardest to adjust to because your brain hasn’t been used throughout the break. The dilemma with breaks, such as summer break, is that one loses valuable information from past academic courses that are essential to ones progress towards higher education. Imagine a whole year without learning and then coming back to intense rigorous classes at a University. Seniors at high schools over the nation have the opportunity of taking a year off before committing to a college. This is known as a Gap Year; instead of directly enrolling into a University many students feel the need to take a break before starting their education towards their future career. Yes, a Gap Year does sound pleasing and beneficial, but in the long run it can be damaging towards ones future. Students should be aware of the ramification a Gap Year brings, such as, the possibility for enrolling in a graduate school is lower, academic growth is reduced, and social obstacles become present.

    Read More

  • Research Essay: Should Students Take A Gap Year?

    1375 Words  | 3 Pages

    Now looking at both these arguments, it is indeed an important decision to make whether students should take a gap year or they shouldn’t. Thus I’m conducting the research on this ...

    Read More

  • Persuasive Essay About Gap Year

    1185 Words  | 3 Pages

    Van Thompson states that “68.3 percent of students who graduated high school in 2011 were enrolled in college.” (Thompson, Van. classroom.synonym.com. Nov.2015) In other words, what Van is saying is that only 31.7 percent of students that graduate from high school do not attend college. Margaret Loftus states “ They may disapprove and discourage you from taking a year off. They may also believe that taking a gap year will lead you to discontinuing your studies altogether. The world-famous scholar Margaret Loftus is stating that people are disapproving of a gap year and the the disapproval cause will the student not to finish schooling. ( Loftus,Margaret. How a Gap Year Can Make Students Successful." U.S. News Education. U.S. News.

    Read More

  • Persuasive Essay Gap Year

    1090 Words  | 3 Pages

    A gap year is a time for teens to take off between high school and college. A gap year is used to travel, work, volunteer or study. In general, a gap year has many advantages. This year out of a school is a good time for students to explore the world and gain valuable life skills and experience while learning to be independent. Teens in the U.S. should adopt the British custom of taking a gap year between high school and college in order to gain perspective on personal values and career goals as well as gaining needed life experiences without the pressure and expectations of a school environment. A gap year is a time for students to become independent and learn a sense of responsibility before entering into university life.

    Read More

  • The Pros and Cons of Taking a Gap Year

    801 Words  | 2 Pages

    Shellenbarger, Sue. “More Students Taking” Gap Year" Before College – WSJ.com." WSJ Online Article. 29 Oct. 2010. Web. 14 Nov. 2013. This source includes some statics, including some testimonials from college students about taking a gap year and how that prepared them for college and the workforce.

    Read More

  • Benefits Of Gap Year Essay

    1652 Words  | 4 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay About Gap Year

    1045 Words  | 3 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • The Negative Effects Of Dropping Out Of High School

    1640 Words  | 4 Pages

    Regrettably, some students must drop out of school and use that time to get a job to help support their families. Female students who become pregnant have to drop out to take care of their child. Poor choices constrain some students to land themselves behind bars before their education becomes complete. Primary caretakers becoming ill and/or dying can force high schoolers to drop out and to take on the role of their family member, who has now become unable (“School Dropout”). These events can leave kids all over the country with two different options that have a few stunning similarities; receiving their GED, or dropping out of high school without a

    Read More

More about The Benefits of The Gap Year

Open Document