The Gap Year
Wednesday, May 28th, 2008Gap year. Are you familiar with this term? Gap year typically refers to a transitional year between high school and college during which a student takes a break from school and works or volunteers either in the United States or abroad. It can also refer to a break taken during college or after college. Although taking a gap year is much more common in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, it is gaining popularity in the United States. This newfound interest in gap year can be attributed in part to the increased emphasis in American culture on community service. Attaining a certain number of service hours is sometimes even a prerequisite to high school graduation. A gap year can be a wonderful way for a young person to gain a new perspective on life, learn about another culture, language, or social milieu, or delve into the working world. Some benefits are pragmatic–earning money and learning new skills–while some are more intangible–discovering a new passion or finding a new sense of purpose and maturity. Whatever the motivation, there are myriad possibilities available to students seeking this experience; in fact, an entire industry has sprung up around the “gap year” concept.
Traveling overseas has its own special allure, and many students choose to spend their gap year doing public service abroad. One of the drawbacks of service abroad can be the expense. There is the cost of travel, vaccinations, health and medical evacuation insurance, housing, and a passport or visa, not to mention program fees. A New York Times article estimated these costs could be as much as $12,000. That being said, there are many wonderful opportunities to work in education, conservation, and public health.
– In Seville, Spain you could work for Amnesty International, or the Red Cross.
– In Calcutta, India, you can teach brothel children in a red-light district.
– In Somaliland, you can work in a maternity hospital run by an extraordinary woman named Edna Adan.
– In Valparaiso, Chile you might work for a local public health organization.
– In the Dominican Republic you could help out at a rural work site run by the Peace Corps.
– In Shanghai, China you could teach English to the “floating migrant children” at a state-run elementary school.
– In Bangladesh, a well-respected development organization, BRAC, is starting an internship program.
Spending a gap year in the United States, although less exotic-sounding, can be just as rewarding. For example, City Year is a well-known domestic educational service program whose motto is “Give a year. Change the world.” It recruits young people between the ages of 17 and 24 to serve for a term of ten months. City Year corps members serve full-time at one of 17 urban locations across the United States. Corp members might tutor, mentor, run an after-school program, or lead a youth leadership program or vacation camp. In exchange, a corps member receives a weekly stipend to help with living expenses. In addition, at the end of the term of service, he or she will receive an education award of $4,725 to be applied toward a college degree, graduate school, or an existing or future qualified student loan. Leadership development, basic health insurance, a uniform, and a cell phone are also provided during the year of service.
Taking time off between high school and college is viewed positively by most colleges, graduate schools, and future employers. Having pursued a gap year shows the type of initiative and perseverance and fosters the maturity that colleges want to see. Princeton University, for example, has championed the notion of a gap year and is in the process of creating a program to begin in 2009 that would send a tenth of incoming freshmen for a year of social service work in a foreign country prior to stepping foot on campus. Many employers realize that having spent time abroad helps in today’s global marketplace. And a gap year can translate into better grades. A recent study by two economists at the University of Western Australia indicates that students who take a year off scored an average first-year university mark 2.3% higher than those coming straight from school. The increase was even greater for males who were underachievers: they scored an average 3.7% higher if they took a gap year.
A gap year is not for everybody, but it can be a beneficial learning experience for those who choose to follow this more circuitous route to college. Whether you choose a structured program or create your own game plan, go abroad or stay stateside, you will undoubtedly be a more focused, mature individual for the experience and approach your college years with a renewed sense of purpose.
For more information about gap year, visit the following websites: