Taking A Gap Year Between High School And College

Lauren Maurer Mr. Worthington AP Lang 16 January 2014 College Can Wait Taking a gap year between high school and college is becoming a rapidly developing trend amongst students in the United Kingdom and United States over the last decade. The extreme pressure from the four years spent in high school leaves students drained and needing to re-energize before facing an even more rigorous course load in college. A gap year is the perfect solution as students take â€Å"time off with a purpose† before furthering their education. A gap year is a structured period of time between high school and college when students take a break from formal education to increase self-awareness, learn from different cultures, and experiment for possible careers. As defined by Andrew Jones in his thesis paper for the University of London, a gap year is, â€Å"any period of time between 3 and 24 months which an individual takes ‘out’ of formal education, training or the workplace, and where the time out sits in the context of a longer career trajectory† (Jones 8). Students spend time away from home traveling, volunteering, interning or working in an unfamiliar area to gain new experiences. This period is ideally a phase for students to explore the world and gain valuable life skills and a mature understanding while transitioning into independence. Its purpose is for a student to find out more about oneself, and clarify future career pursuits before entering college. It is a time in which students learnShow MoreRelatedPositive Thing About Taking a Gap Year Between High School and College743 Words   |  3 Pagesâ€Å"Gap year† is a common word for a lot of college students because taking a one-year break between high school and college is a good choice for the high school graduates. More and more high school graduates want to take a one-year break before they go to the college. In fact, some people agree that taking a one-year break is good for those students who just graduated from high school because they can learn diffe rent life skills and new things between college and high school. Other people think thatRead MoreGap Between High School And College1381 Words   |  6 PagesA gap year is time off from school. It is mostly taken between high school and college. Gap years are not always a year, it could be a few weeks or even a few years (Knoll). In some cases gap years will add stress and frustration due to students getting behind their peers. Often students will waste time and not stay on top of their studies so when they decide to go back to school they are stuck reteaching themselves the skills they lost. Whether you have a plan or not students say gap years can beRead MoreThe Gap Year1052 Words   |  5 PagesThe Gap Year As a senior in high school did you ever stress about your future? Making plans for college? A way to relieve stress could be to take a gap year. The life of the average senior consist of planning for college, by taking a year off you can manage and make money, relieve some stress and it gives you the opportunity to travel before settling down before college. This is not uncommon to a lot of senior graduates. They see it as a way to relax and mentally prepare themselves for the futureRead MoreThe Role Of Gap Years Essay1220 Words   |  5 Pagesrole of gap years to earn a higher education is a controversial idea. Many people feel it is important to take on Europe s natural participation in the gap year after high school. For countless years, Europeans have practiced gap years before college to help a graduate grow. Prince William of Europe took his beneficial gap year, helping the idea to spread to America (Kelly para. 1) British influences have been leading America to a stro nger future, and taking a gap year after high school is nowRead Moreargumentative essay1044 Words   |  5 PagesUniversity Should I Stay or Should I Go It is time to make a decision regarding what to do after high school. The most popular decision is to go right into college. Some students say they would like to take a year off before going to college. This is called a Gap Year, meaning they have a gap in between education. Some do well, and prepare themselves for college, while others do not. Those that do take a year off have time to explore what life has to offer, and takes advantage of the deferment applicationRead MoreThe Gap Year Essay928 Words   |  4 PagesThe Gap Year The â€Å"gap year† has been a common rite of passage in many foreign countries for decades, but it has now started to gain significant steam here in America as told by Danielle Wood, a parent from Today’s Parenting. This leads to many questions that parents and students want answered, such as: â€Å"Is the â€Å"gap year† a good or bad consideration?† â€Å"Will this decision put me behind?† â€Å"Does this stop me from ever going to college?† â€Å"Will I ever get my college degree?† All of theseRead MoreTake The Gap Year? Essay1326 Words   |  6 PagesTake the gap year Every year there are millions of students who graduate high school and the majority will go to college. According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, â€Å"Of the 3.0 million youth age 16 to 24 who graduated from high school between January and October 2015, about 2.1 million (69.2 percent) were enrolled in college in October.† (â€Å"College† par 3.) The other nine hundred thousand students will either delay college or have decided to never enter college. Taking time offRead MoreMandatory Schooling From Elementary Through High School1390 Words   |  6 Pagesvariation. The first few years of life move quickly with learning new skills, trying new experiences and always the major part of the day was filled with playtime. Then as soon as the candles on a fifth birthday cake are blown out there is a sudden and dramatic shift in priorities and the path to a career has begun. Common core, state testing, reports cards, and projects consume the years of mand atory schooling from Elementary through to High School. After the thirteen long years of schooling many studentsRead MoreBenefits Of A Gap Year1498 Words   |  6 Pageswho decides to take a gap year before going to college. That friend becomes exposed to many opportunities that you do not have access to. Meanwhile, you decide to not take a gap year and continue your education by attending a college or university. Although you are not exposed to the same opportunities as your friend, you are still gaining a solid education. Not to mention that you are more likely to graduate before your friend to get your career started. Taking a gap year in America is a personalRead MoreResearched Argumentative Paper680 Words   |  3 PagesTaking a Gap Year Many students rush to college right after high school because that is what most students do these days. Taking a year or two off between high school and college can be more beneficial than most parents may think. It is also referred to as a gap year. Instead of pushing your children into going to college right after high school, more parents need to encourage their children to take a break from school to give them time to become more mature and also time to focus on what they