The Benefits of Taking a Gap Year before Going to College

At only eighteen years old, making the decision what to do after high school is easier said than done. We aren't aware of the many things we don't know which is a common saying that emphasizes why taking a gap year expands students knowledge in ways they wouldn't have known before.. The decision to take a gap year between graduation and college has become a popular choice by many students, and has significant benefits. Students can spend their gap year traveling, working, or even staying at home to take a break before college. This choice presents students many opportunities with advantages that will benefit them long term compared to students who didn't take time off.

Although students taking a gap year encourage its many opportunities and advantages, there are many people who believe gap years are a waste of time. Counter to that argument, there are more benefits of taking a gap year than to not. The decision to take a year off after high school gives students the opportunity to grow themselves, learn new life skills, and experience new environments.

Having the experience to take a year off motivates students to strengthen their social abilities. In high school, students have friends, groups, and clubs that make them feel comfortable. Pushing students outside their comfort zone by being outside this high school bubble, encourages higher social confidence and a new level of maturity in relationships. Students choosing to travel during their year off inevitably forces a new understanding of different cultures and different societies upon them.

Order custom essay The Benefits of Taking a Gap Year before Going to College with free plagiarism report

450+ experts on 30 subjects Starting from 3 hours delivery

Get Essay Help

Having the ability to understand the different backgrounds of people, helps someone to become more culturally aware. Becoming culturally aware in today's society is very important when applying for jobs, meeting new people, and understanding the world with a different perspective. Traveling to third world countries and destinations where people live life completely different than the students respective country, gives new perspective on different cultures.

Students who decide to work during their year off also increase their social awareness and improve their social skills. Working a full-time job with co-workers who may be of different races, ages, and genders gives students the opportunity to create professional relationships with a diverse group of people. Having the opportunity to explore life after high school through work or travel, gives students better cultural awareness and teaches them valuable social skills.

Taking a gap year give students the opportunity to decide what they want to do and who they want to become. During high school, many students don't know what they want to do with their lives because they are more immature and don't have the opportunity to focus on long term goals. High school puts a lot of pressure on students to quickly decide a major to therefore choose a college to attend. High school counselors stress the importance of college, but don't stress the important benefits of taking a gap year. During students year off before college, they are more likely to either find a hidden passion of theirs, or decide on a different course of study than what they originally planned. Students who grow up being encouraged to pursue a certain profession may learn that that wasn't the right thing for them.

Although without being given a year away from family and friends, the student might never realize that's not what they want to do. Students who take a Gap Year are more likely to graduate with higher grades than students who went straight into college. This is likely because taking a year off lets students try new things and explore the world of possibilities. Exploring the world and gaining new perspectives helps students become more prepared for college and use these new experiences to determine what path they want to take. After taking a gap year, students will be able to go to college with clear goals, and a strong mindset of what they want to accomplish.

A gap year also allows students the opportunity to discover more about themselves. Upon graduating, most students have lived in the comfort of their own home, with full parental guidance, and not much space to grow their own beliefs or independence. This opportunity allows students to be away from the structure of a university, and the comfort of home to branch out and be their own person. It allows them to find their beliefs, not the beliefs of their family or community. It can be very difficult to figure out how to become an individual and branch out from just being a part of a group. Being put in a new situation outside of one's comfort zone, reveals new strengths and tests their capabilities which they wouldn't have discovered otherwise.

Students who take a gap year will also be more adapted to change and transitions which is a useful skill in an ever changing society. Taking a year to be immersed in full-time work to save for college, or using a year to travel is a time filled with incredible opportunities of personal growth and development.

Although there are many benefits to taking a gap year before university, there are many arguments against this decision as well. Students talking about traveling the world to adventure and see new things, don't always factor in the price this will cost. Traveling to different countries is so expensive that it can be compared to spending that money wisely on a year of college. It is arguable that the money spent on these excursions is well spent because some students and families don't necessarily believe traveling the world is a good investment at eighteen years old. It is also a plausible argument that traveling by yourself or with friends is dangerous, risky, and irresponsible. Some countries outside the United States are much less developed, and can be deemed "unsafe" and not a place for young adults.

If students aren't worried about the safety of gap years, they may be concerned about the difficulty enrolling back into school after the year is over. If students have the money and are lucky enough to travel the world, coming back home and thinking about going to college after that can be incredibly difficult. Students may be so caught up in the social scene of their new life with no school responsibilities, they may turn away from going to college. This can be a positive thing if they find something sustainable and better than college, but if they choose to not attend school because they don't want to, this can have dramatic negative effects. Deciding they don't want to go back to school can be satisfying for a few years, until they figure out they don't have a long term plan for their life.

The benefits of taking a gap year can be argued with the point that college can be the best time of your life, and there is no reason you can't do everything you would during a gap year, after you graduate college.

Due to the pros and cons of gap years between high school and college, deciding which path a student should take depends solely on them. A gap year can have many positive effects on an individual's personal growth and offers a multitude of opportunities. Although gap years are considered a waste of time and aren't beneficial for students who know exactly what they want to do and where they want to go. Students who decide a gap year would benefit them can spend this time saving for college with a full-time job, traveling, or just taking a year off to do whatever they want.

All options provide the student with time to develop his or her own opinions, beliefs, and long-term goals. Utilizing a year off from school is almost essential and should be stressed by high school counselors just as much as college is to students. Deciding what to be and what to do is incredibly overwhelming and takes time and maturity outside the stress of family and school to make the choice. The decision to take a year off after high school gives students the opportunity to grow themselves, learn new life skills, and experience new environments.

Don't let plagiarism ruin your grade

Run a free check or have your essay done for you

Check my essay Hire Writer