Why gap years are bad

Consider some of these benefits to determine if it could be the right choice for you. Taking and completing a gap year will give you a better sense of self. It will make you more independent and more mature. For many of Global Citizen Year Alums, their gap year helped them figure out what they wanted to study and re-energized them to return to the classroom and pursue their dreams.

Many colleges report that students who take gap years are more involved on campus and have higher GPAs. No matter what you do for your gap year, you will get to know yourself a little better.

Taking a break from classroom learning will help you learn more about yourself and what makes you happy. You will also gain a new and different understanding of the world, as you stretch, grow and see new things.

The challenges facing the world are global in nature — poverty, diseases, immigration — and we need leaders who are ready to engage with the world to solve them. On your gap year — no matter what you choose to do — you get to make the world your classroom. And understanding the world will make you a better citizen and community member at home, at college and in life.

More and more colleges are encouraging — and in some cases requiring — taking a gap year. A growing list of colleges, from Tufts University to Harvard University to University of North Carolina Chapel Hill , are providing incentives such as preferred admission, financial aid, and course credit to increase the number of students who do it. Taking a gap year is a great way to stand out from other applicants. By taking a gap year, you will set yourself apart from the pack and show confidence and motivation.

This site does not support Internet Explorer. Highlight Links Highlight Links. Change Contrast Change Contrast. About Dean Phillip M. I am tired. I need to save money One thing that is undeniable is that professional school is not cheap. Spend time with friends and family My life has been so chaotic during my junior and senior year with school, research, volunteering, studying for the MCAT, work, etc.

By: Steven. Research…shows that gap years promote qualities such as resilience, tenacity, and grit. One way for students to challenge themselves with new perspectives is through service, both nationally and internationally, but also right near home. The SCA offers a series of tailor-made gap-year programs in a variety of fields and locations, ranging from team-based programs to individual internships in fields ranging from climate change to habitat restoration to environmental education.

Find out more about our gap-year programs here. You are here Home Connect Blog. Immersing yourself in a new culture, learning a foreign language, and seeing the world from a different perspective can lead to important discoveries about your passions and purpose. A productive gap year is a great time to engage in resume-building activities.

Learning a skill, gaining work experience in your intended field, studying a second language, or spending months immersed learning about a specific topic or country can all help your resume stand out.

A year spent volunteering or interning can also build skills that will impress potential employers. An unstructured gap year can open the door to wasting time and losing academic momentum.

While gap-year programs can provide structure and motivation, if you plan on exploring on your own for some or all of your gap year, you need to make sure you've clearly laid out goals you can accomplish. If necessary, inform trusted people of your plans so they can hold you accountable. The worst-case scenario for a gap year is that you stall your academic momentum to play video games, watch TV, and lounge around the house.

College can be incredibly expensive, and a gap year can seem alluring for students who fear their time will be poorly spent in college until they've figured out a clear direction for themselves. On the other hand, gap-year programs and traveling abroad are also potentially expensive endeavors.

Make sure you understand the potential cost of your trip or program, as well as any sneaky expenses that might not be presented up front, so your gap year doesn't set you back financially. Watching your close friends go off to college and go through similar experiences at the same time may leave you feeling as though you're missing out.

Likewise, knowing that you'll be going through these experiences a year after peers you progressed through high school with might make you feel like you're falling behind. While these feelings are understandable, remember that when looking at the big picture, entering college one year late won't harm your professional trajectory and you'll get to experience college all the same when you return.

A year spent idle or withdrawn from academic engagement could make the transition back to school a difficult one. The best way to avoid this is to make sure that you keep yourself engaged and challenged by material you find interesting, and that no matter how you choose to spend your time, you are acquiring a skill or learning about yourself, an academic field, or a particular culture.

One of the biggest decisions you can make when planning your gap year is whether you'll handle your adventures independently or as part of a formal program. When deciding, consider whether you want the structure and cohort experience that a program provides or the freedom and flexibility of individual exploration. Traveling through a program can ease the burden of handling many of the logistics including travel, housing accommodations, and participation in local activities and with organizations.

Another important factor to consider when making this decision is cost. For example, AmeriCorps offers to year-olds an all-expenses-paid gap year — including room, board, and transportation — in exchange for a month commitment to national and community service.