Essay about Is Taking a Gap Year a Good Idea?

One question that comes to mind when graduating high school is, “should I attend college?” For many graduates this question have a very obvious answer. A high school graduate may state that, “college is the best option if one is trying to get a higher level of education, and will help one compete for a higher paying job.” However, in my opinion most graduates do not consider the fact that going to college is a very big decision to make and that the schoolwork will not be easy. Going to college is not the best choice for every high school graduate because many students cannot handle college, colleges’ lower standards, and not all jobs require a college degree.

Each year, many students across the country decide not to seek higher education after high school. A number of these students have to overcome many obstacles before deciding to attend college. Some of the reasons students decide not to go to college are:

College is not just a choice, it's the beginning of a lifelong journey, one that will shape and determine future choices, decisions and purposes. A high school graduate tends to have no background of job experience or any essential skills to work at a decent company. Throughout the years, America has always debated whether higher education helps people succeed or if needed, but with that come along many risk and benefits for state funding.

High school encourages students to stay on task and focus on their future. However, there are some students who simply just don’t care about their education and therefore aren’t prepared for college (Leonhardt). College isn't meant for everyone, but there are always substitutes such as community college. Students are able to take their time and “will have the opportunity to explore interests that [they] might not have otherwise pursued” (“The Pros and Cons Of Community Colleges”). High school graduates are able to get back on track and start thinking about passing their classes instead of slacking off in community college.

All high schoolers face the same daunting problem. What they are going to do with their lives. A choice made as an 18 year old, determines future paths for the rest of their lives. Recently the subject of going to college and getting a four year degree has become very controversial. HIgh school students are choosing other alternatives, such as trade school, community college, or even not getting any further education at all. However even with many other options, going to college and getting a bachelor's degree is valuable for everyone.

There are numerous reasons as to why people choose not to attend college after high school. A majority of individuals are not able to attend college due to financial instability, those people decided they could not afford to go to college. Many do not qualify for financial aid or scholarships, some have

There are various reasons on why many graduating high school seniors choose to take time off before enrolling in college. Some have the desire to travel the world; others are unsure of they want to major on college. Whatever the reason it might be, it is a good idea

With college cost that prohibit potential students from attending, or majoring in a field that has no return on the financial investment made for the degree several students just do see the purpose. College can cause delays of independence, delays of establishing a family and financial independence. Seeking a college degree at even an older age can be beneficial to the student, especially if they have had firsthand experience in the real world job market without a degree. These individuals can be more dedicated students with a goal and a plan in mind, they are willing to work harder and make more connections than students fresh out of high school. Delaying a college education can be for many reasons, usually financial due to the cost of a degree. Several older students compensate by spending time in the military to gain funds and scholarships for college. Others just take time to see what they are really interested in so that they are not wasting time and money taking classes and working towards a degree that will not be fulfilling to them later in

After high school, there are so many possible roads to take. Whether it be going into the military, college, work, and or travel the world there are many endless possibilities. All of the seniors that graduate will most likely continue there scholar career at some sort of college, which is a good choice to make because once the graduates know what they want to be they can go and pursue it at the college level. Even though college can be expensive it will be worth it in the end when you graduate with a degree and use it with your everyday lifestyle. People who choose to go to college right after high school and not have a gap year is the right choice because they can get their careers started and not behind a year, they don't spend extra money on travel expenses, and once people stop going to school they will lose the motivation to go back to college.

Chris Kelly’s article “Viewpoint: Gap years are good for students – and for schools” published in USA Today gives an adequate opinion on the benefits of student out of high school taking a gap year and also the effects it has on the schools. Kelly suggest a gap year for students, as he explains a positive story on Malia Obama’s gap year experience. Kelly explains, Malia had been accepted into Harvard, but desired to take a deferred enrollment so she could take advantage of the gap year. Which then allows her to enroll when she comes back from the gap year. Kelly makes statement that colleges actually have an advocate belief when student choose defer enrollment. Especially much larger school. Acknowledging student mindset after taking a

However, students continues from high school will lack of some benefits. In my experience, I didn’t take my classes seriously because I was rushing to hurry and finish college to get my AA degree to start my career. So much had happen as I was trying to rush my classes and I even lost my second child at 23 weeks. . After my third child, I'm still rushing through my classes. When I notices that I was failing both my summer 2015 classes, I feel like giving up. I lost confidences in me, no motivation to keep going. What I should had done was take a year off.

A gap year is a period of time (typically an academic year) in which a student takes a break between secondary school and a higher education. Taking a gap year has been encouraged in Europe and Australia for years, whereas in the United States, the idea of taking a gap year didn’t become popular until 2010. In 2010, Australia saw a substantial increase in travel, study, and work abroad programs by young Americans, and soon came up with a program where anyone the ages from 18-30 years old are given the opportunity to work, travel, and study in the country for a 12-month period. (“Leisure & Travel week”) In present day,

A gap year can be significantly help students to determine their future job. Having a dream job is common among students who are ambitious and willing to work hard to gain what they deserve. But reality and dream are far away of each other. The wrong perception of dream job can lead to a disaster. A year is a sufficient time for a student to research on their dream job by talking with people who work in that field or surfacing on the internet and gathering information. For instance, one of my friend who wanted to become an

Moreover, if a high school graduate takes a gap year he or she is able to work full-time for a year and make more money to pay for college. A full year will actually surprise students on how much they can do to put into savings, “A year of earning money full-time can go a long way toward paying for college.” (McCollum) When a student graduates from high school, he or she will have their high school diploma so their paycheck will be higher than one in high school. While high school students have a job it can add to the stress they have to deal with in both areas. If a high school graduate takes off a year of school then he or she will have the opportunity to only focus on their job specifically their roles at the company. Additionally, with the opportunity to work full-time he or she will make more than having a part-time job

All are refocused on school because during the vigorous time one spent the gap year, one may have found an internship, or volunteer work in the career of one’s interest. That is what many college want for students that do decide to take a gap year. The college administrators also want student “to improve upon an area of expertise or perform some kind of public service” (Shapira). This allows them to become more skilled in one’s selected area of study, because others are still learning new important life and study skills. As a result “gap-year students at Middlebury and the University of North Carolina maintained grade point averages between .1 and .4 points higher than their gap-free peers” (Greenberg). Gap years are viewed as a chance effectively prepare students for a thorough, and more significant engagement in college education. Therefore, it is contrary to the belief that it supplies the students a break from academic focus. The students that are achieving these better grades are working harder than peers that did not take a gap year. Henceforth, one becomes ready to focus on one’s education.