Advantages of a Gap Year

The standard process for students interested in post-secondary education is to apply during your senior year of high school, get admitted, decide where to attend, graduate high school, and spend your summer being excited and nervous about school. When the end of summer comes, you head off to your selected campus and start your college journey!

For years, students interested in a different type of experience post-high school have taken the opportunity to participate in a "gap year." A gap year is the time spent between graduating high school and starting your formal college coursework that a young person spends traveling, volunteering, working, and gaining other types of life experiences, like language and cultural exploration, religious immersion, and more!

Schools and communities like Drexel want engaged, educated, globally minded citizens joining their campuses every year, and a gap year can be a wonderful way to complement and supplement a young person's learning and life experiences.

While many students are ready to start college at 17 or 18 years old, some students may want to spend a bit of time doing something other than structured education before jumping into the rigors of university life. While skeptics may question how something like a gap year could be preparatory for college life and academic success, it is important to understand that there can be immense benefits to this time "off." Let's highlight a few.

1. A Break – By the time students have walked across the stage at their high school graduation, most have spent nine months a year for the last 13 years in a school setting. While education is vital to a person's success in the future, it is okay for us to recognize that this is difficult for young people and can be challenging to their mental and physical health. Colleges and universities will be here in 12 months — it is okay for students to take the opportunity to explore life outside of classroom settings for some time and rest to their bodies, minds, and souls.
2. Cultural Competency and Comfort – Most high school students spend most of their youth education in the same schools with the same people. While many high schools do a wonderful job of exposing students to new people, cultures, world views, and experiences, there is nothing that can replicate real-world cultural exploration. Whether it is backpacking through Europe, volunteering at a local pre-school and community center, or competing in athletics against different competition — a gap year can and should expose young people to new people, places, and ideas. This different type of exposure can be super helpful as they transition into their next new community on their college campus the following fall.
3. Academic and Professional Exploration – While most students are not taking formal academic courses during their gap year, there is still a lot of important learning that occurs through these experiences. One very important lesson learned can be what a student wants to learn in college or do professionally and what they may not want to do. Figuring out what they like and don't like academically and professionally is so important to save the student time, energy, and money when they do eventually get onto their college campus. When students get to try things out in real-life environments, they should get a better idea of the right path for them when they restart their education.

Gap years are not for everyone; some students are ready for and want to jump into college life right out of high school. However, for students who want to spend that first year of adult life doing something a bit different than the norm, there is so much that can be gained from a productive gap year. Schools and communities like Drexel want engaged, educated, globally minded citizens joining their campuses every year, and a gap year can be a wonderful way to complement and supplement a young person's learning and life experiences.

Don't be afraid to break the norm and consider a gap year if you think it could be a good option for you!