It’s September, and if you are the mom or dad of a student, you are either recovering from, or in the midst of, the college search process. During this time, it might become clear to you that your son or daughter might not be entirely ready for the next step in their education. This should not concern you too much because there is another option for the wary pre-freshman: the gap year.
A gap year, or “year out”, is the British tradition of deferring college in favor of a year spent traveling, interning, exploring and engaging in other forms of experiential learning. Recently it became a trend to take a gap year and it has been gaining popularity all over the world. Even more and more young Americans are opting to take a year off before college.
Colleges and universities are supporting this opportunity by making deferring school easier and in some cases, like Princeton, offering their own in-house gap year programs. In most cases, a simple letter to your child’s school of choice explaining their reasoning for taking a gap year is enough to secure their spot for the following school year.
There are many benefits for a student taking a gap year. Parents often list the following as changes they see in their children over the course of a year out:
• Maturation, self reliance and independence
• Recovery from academic burnout / Renewal in eagerness to learn
• Wider world view and global perspective
• Discovery of interests and passions through firsthand experience
• Ridding themselves of the travel bug or the desire to “do some things” before they begin college
• Learning or gaining proficiency in a foreign language
• Real world experience before the college “bubble”
• Better avoids the risk of first year drop/fail out by providing the opportunity to refocus priorities and gain maturity
The economic climate
In this economic climate, taking a gap year can also be a wise financial decision. A gap year allows you more time to let your college savings mature and reapply for better financial aid packages.
What now?
So let’s assume your child is well suited for a gap year. “What now?” you may ask. In short: Talk with your kid and research ideas and programmes.
Look online on www.xtreme-gap.com if you decide sports and adventure travel would suit your kid. Be sure not to press to do what you wathink is bst for them to do. But do set some ground rules like: You may not go jumping of mount Everest. This will not only empower your son or daughter to be deliberate but will let them know you trust them to make adult choices.
Set a budget, and be sure to factor in the “extras” like vaccinations, airfare, travel money and international health insurance. Don’t be shy in asking your child to contribute a certain portion of the budget themselves; either through a summer job or fundraising. This gives them a financial stake in their activities.
Before you know it, your child will be off to school, matured from a year of unique experiences and ready to take full advantage of their college years!
For more information look on our gap year travel section.
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