I read the following article from GreatSchools.net about answering the question on GAP Years after High School. Here is what I would like to add.
Here is the link to the original article from the author, Hank Pellissier. https://www.greatschools.org/gk/articles/whats-a-gap-year-and-other-questions-answered/fbclid=IwAR371siZPkVCkOPkIIjPc3ei6CF97Gf8TVsyLoY8S6TlPqob_VHxN9ghMG8
I thought this was an excellent article on explaining what a gap year and how it works. I can’t tell you the number of students this year want to do a “gap” year but when I ask what are they going to do? They don’t know that taking a “gap” year is not just taking off a year, sitting home on the family sofa playing games until you decide about what you are going to do in life. Each family situation is different and a student might need to work 40+ hours a week to help support family needs and save for college, a car, etc.
What I think instills fear in a lot of our 18-19 year population is that it is ok if you do not know what you want to do in life. Very few of us do. The one thing that you can almost guarantee is going to happen, whatever you choose, you will be required to learn some new skills.
Part of learning might be going to college, go learn a trade, work full time, volunteer, travel abroad and volunteer or help an international organization, etc. Years ago I met an attorney. He had his own firm which was really just himself. He had a secretary but had to let her go. He worked 7 days a week. He said he never saw his family anymore because he was stuck in a rut because he had work the hours to support his families’ lifestyle. He he could do this all over again, he would go into education.
I met someone else years ago. Both of his parents were CPA’s and they encouraged him to go a B.A. in Accounting. He graduated with his Accounting Degree and got a job in a good firm. He quit six months later because he hated his job.
I used to go to another Church years ago. A former youth in the Church decided to go to College and get a degree in being a Youth Pastor. Once he got his degree and joined a church to be a Youth Pastor, he too realized he did not enjoy it.
Life is going to be like this. Not everything in school is going to be picture perfect in the real world.
Life has a way of creating different paths and journeys for each one.
Learning new skills is like riding a bike solo for the first time. Some kids might be able to do this at age four, five or six. Others might be eight or ten. Some might be an adult. Some might not have learned how to do this or just never had the opportunity to try. Learning a new skill, finding what path you are going to go on, getting your college degree, learning a new trade, becoming certified or earning an indorsement, etc. is just like riding a bike. It really does not matter how how it was when you did it for the first time. Maybe you are still learning. We all learn at a different level or path. This is like learning to ride a bike.
In the end what matters most is if you can do it, not by what age.
Taking a Gap Year can be beneficial. What is your end goal? Are you already on the bike or are just looking at it?
Taking a Gap Year might make you realize that you would not like to invest your time, energy, money into pursuing become the attorney or CPA. A Gap Year could save you these results and your end result to help you get on another path.
Find what you are passionate or think you are passionate about in life and look at ways to volunteer, join, study, etc. that subject or career interest.
A Gap Year might be just the thing for you.