The Gap Year Plan
In the 1980’s the US was introduced to an experimental semester for students leaving high school and entering college described as a “gap year”(americangap.org, 2015). The purpose is to give students the opportunity to experience life by traveling or working for one year after the conclusion of their secondary education (americangap.org, 2015). The top two reasons students take a Gap Year according to a survey by Karl Haigler and Rae Nelson of Advance, N.C., co-authors of a forthcoming guidebook on the topic was to “find out more about themselves” and “academic burnout” (Shellenbarger, 2010). Research has concluded that there are both academic and personal benefits to students who choose to take a Gap Year (americangap.org, …show more content…
AGA states a Gap Year will assist college students to have a better idea of what major they will seek when settling back into a structured educational program (americangap.org, 2015). In the article, Delaying College to Fill in the Gaps by Sue Shellenbarger, Monika Lutz an eighteen year old student with aspirations after high school to enter into a career helping solve economic and social problems for poor nations took advantage of the of the gap year by traveling to remote villages in India (Shellenbarger, 2010). Monica lived in a mud hut and encountered many obstacles while working in India but gained the knowledge through this experience to determine this was not the career she wanted (Shellenbarger, 2010). Monica stated, “I might have spent four years and $200,000 on tuition to end up in that same country and find out the same thing” (Shellenbarger, 2010). Therefore, Monica proved that she gained financially and academically by not focusing on a major at school that she ultimately did not …show more content…
However, there are many personal benefits for students who choose a Gap Year. With a well-structured Gap Year Plan it can be part of a lifelong education that will have a profound contribution to a student’s personal growth (ciee.org, 2015). Students will gain independence and take ownership in their academic careers (ciee.org, 2015). They will also become global citizens from traveling and increase their knowledge of what it means to work in a diverse culture (ciee.org, 2015). Ultimately gaining knowledge to become more marketable when applying for internships and jobs by showing their maturity and independence (ciee.org,
In the 1980’s the US was introduced to an experimental semester for students leaving high school and entering college described as a “gap year”(americangap.org, 2015). The purpose is to give students the opportunity to experience life by traveling or working for one year after the conclusion of their secondary education (americangap.org, 2015). The top two reasons students take a Gap Year according to a survey by Karl Haigler and Rae Nelson of Advance, N.C., co-authors of a forthcoming guidebook on the topic was to “find out more about themselves” and “academic burnout” (Shellenbarger, 2010). Research has concluded that there are both academic and personal benefits to students who choose to take a Gap Year (americangap.org, …show more content…
AGA states a Gap Year will assist college students to have a better idea of what major they will seek when settling back into a structured educational program (americangap.org, 2015). In the article, Delaying College to Fill in the Gaps by Sue Shellenbarger, Monika Lutz an eighteen year old student with aspirations after high school to enter into a career helping solve economic and social problems for poor nations took advantage of the of the gap year by traveling to remote villages in India (Shellenbarger, 2010). Monica lived in a mud hut and encountered many obstacles while working in India but gained the knowledge through this experience to determine this was not the career she wanted (Shellenbarger, 2010). Monica stated, “I might have spent four years and $200,000 on tuition to end up in that same country and find out the same thing” (Shellenbarger, 2010). Therefore, Monica proved that she gained financially and academically by not focusing on a major at school that she ultimately did not …show more content…
However, there are many personal benefits for students who choose a Gap Year. With a well-structured Gap Year Plan it can be part of a lifelong education that will have a profound contribution to a student’s personal growth (ciee.org, 2015). Students will gain independence and take ownership in their academic careers (ciee.org, 2015). They will also become global citizens from traveling and increase their knowledge of what it means to work in a diverse culture (ciee.org, 2015). Ultimately gaining knowledge to become more marketable when applying for internships and jobs by showing their maturity and independence (ciee.org,