Yes, @Iglooo college is fun and you meet interesting new people but the benefit of a gap year is you can experience all that PLUS take a gap year. You’re just deferring for a year. All that is still waiting for you. So, I don’t see that as a reason not to do a gap year. Living away from home for ac year while you travel, do internships, study abroad isn’t independence from parents? There is a lot more hand holding at college than you’ll find on an independently structured gap year, I’d argue. You make points about reasons to want to go to college but since you can do both, I don’t see them as reasons not to do a gap year. I don’t seem them as downsides, personal preferences aside. As far as structure, most gap year students I know aren’t hanging around twiddling their thumbs. Most colleges require a a statement from the student outlining their plans for the year to show the student is engaged in something worthwhile, not playing xbox on the couch.
I can only speak to my daughter’s experience. She is finishing up her Gap Year before attending college in the fall. For her it has been an opportunity to have experiences beyond academics, to develop skills and independence without focusing on academics at the same time. She was able to challenge herself in a number of meaningful ways. She did miss her friends and age-mates during the year. But she also knows she benefited tremendously from developing relationships with people of different ages and different life experiences. A big benefit of the year has been getting out of the bubble of high school and college. A Gap Year is not the right choice for every kid or family but it has been a good experience for my kid.
It’s clear Igloo has made up his/her mind and nothing we add will change it.
^It’s a non-issue for me. My only child is graduating from college and signed up to attend grad school this fall. She had decided not to take a gap year before continuing to grad school. Her next chance for a gap year will be if she is unemployed. She had taken two long summer breaks immersed in a foreign language. She lived in a foreugn country for 4 months each time. I don’t know what she could’ve learned if she stayed a year instead of 4 months. Yes, I am not convinced she missed anything not taking a gap year. Maybe it’s something you appreciate only after experiencing it personally. Not saying no one should take a gap year. They should if they see it fit. I am just baffled at the media suggestion we miss out a lot passing up a gap year.
My DD is taking a gap year after graduating from HS last spring. She is accepted by a college last spring and will be in college this fall. She has been a student in a university in a different country for her gap year since last September. The gap year made her fluent in a foreign language with writing and reading skills. She was relatively young when she graduated from HS (age 16) so we thought a gap year would be good in many ways. She managed herself in a foreign country for a whole year, learned the language and made great friends. Transition back would be a challenge. I can see reversed cultural shock. I only hope it’s not as bad as it appears to be at this moment. She is very emotional and is not excited about coming back, even though college life still sounds nice to her. This time last year she wasn’t sure about leaving. By nature she is a kid who likes adventures. That was what got her going. She is not going to majoring in science or math. I always feel for STEM kids taking a gap year might be a different story. My DD will definitely like to study abroad while in college. With this year’s experience, nobody would be worried if she goes overseas for a semester. Her experience is great. but I don’t think people who don’t take a gap year is missing a lot. You miss things while gain things, no matter what you do, that’s the case. My DD gained a lot this year. But I’m jealous of all those who graduated from HS the same time she did, and successfully completed the first college year already.
There is a psychologist who works with Rotary Youth Exchangers who has noted the changes in the study abroad year, and writes about it here. Rotary sees a study abroad year as having 3 distinct parts, and the most difficult part for some is the return to home and resuming old patterns and relationships, while seeing your own culture in a new light. http://www.rotary.nl/yep/languages/uk/aboutye/white2/
@“great lakes mom” Thanks for the comment. That’s exactly what we are anticipating and I am actually a bit worried about the reversed cultural shock when DD comes back. She is very much involved in her gap year college and country/city/culture.
“Everyone is in praise of a gap year. I don’t see any point in it unless they need to take a break.” - Not everyone at all. My D. said that she would not know what to do in gap year. She would be so bored as nobody around her took gap year. she did not see how she would waste her time. She did all that she needed to do during school year, including numerous ECs and jobs. Every summer was her “gap” months. But her friends were also off during summers and she spent lots of time with them. I have no idea what she would do in gap year and she did not know either, nor anybody around her had one. She had straight 12 + 4 + 4 years of school and currently is a first year resident, 3 more residency years to go. Her schedule right now is absolutely horrendous, sometime up to 80 hours / week, with 30 hour shifts on the hospital floor. But she would still have no idea why anybody takes a gap year.
" If you are a premed, I can understand. It’s probably more structured than other majors" - you meant LESS structured, not more structured, correct? in fact, pre-med could be any major whatsoever and many, including my D. have graduate with combo of unrelated major9s) / minor(s) before they start at the medical school. Some have a gap year to take a break. I do not see any other reason.
I didn’t know anyone who did a gap year, but I was busy doing an immersion program. I had a great time and learned a lot. I knew pre-meds who did gap years - they did the same things other people did - foreign travel or classes, work, volunteering, au pair jobs. Life is not a race. Even if you are pre-med.
My son worked in a lab after college, and roomed wth a another former college student who did something similar, before they began grad school.
" foreign travel or classes, work, volunteering, au pair jobs." - when it is all done concurrently with the school work, then people do not see a need for the gap year. Some take a gap year, just to have a break. Many others say that they will be bored, since they have done everything imaginable, including many foreign travels in their young lives, they are simply way too eager to get into their next stage of life, way too curious to miss a year waiting for it.