A common phenomenon in America is the Gap Year, which refers to the gap year between high school graduation and entering college or university. Young people spend as much as twelve months outside of the educational system. Gradually, the trend is sweeping the country, spreading far beyond the U.S. borders. Its main advantage consists in the possibility to think properly about the purposes, to reconsider them, to tune up to receive new knowledge, to improve concrete skills.

What is the idea behind Gap Year?

Let’s try to understand in detail what a gap year is. For young people it is an opportunity to rest and recuperate before entering a specialized educational institution. Some use the released time for retake the Unified State Exam in order to enter on budget, productive preparation for creative test.

Young people often forget that university is not the goal itself, but only a means to achieve it.

Gap Year is an opportunity to set the right priorities, with what young people have difficulties. Many express a desire to try a profession, to see if it suits them or not, if it is worth entering this specialty at all. The opportunity to gain important experience is a huge advantage.

Most people are used to thinking that going to university immediately after graduation from high school is a sign of success. The decision to take a year is fraught with misunderstanding and even condemnation from those around you. To successfully resist the pressure of society and relatives requires self-confidence.

It is important to spend the gap year as fruitfully as possible, taking care to carefully plan time and finances.

Gap Year gives prospective students a sense of freedom and independence from academic life, an opportunity to try themselves in different areas. You can take a break from studying if you wish, not only after graduation, but also while you are a student. Some take this decision to take a long-awaited trip, to increase their cultural understanding, and to grow personally.

The phrase Gap Year is of English origin, a phenomenon more characteristic of young people living in America. It translates as “gap year. Young people decide to postpone enrolling in specialized schools. By postponing school, they do not sit idle, but spend their time traveling or working part-time. The second option is relevant for young people who have difficulty with finances. During the gap year, they earn money to partially pay for their university studies. Others need the Gap Year to find themselves and “their” specialty.

In America, the trend has embraced leading universities, including Princeton and Harvard, and there are even special programs designed for students who want to take a 12-month break from their studies.

History of Emergence

Some say the concept of Gap Year originated in the United States, others in England. Young people began doing this in the twentieth century to travel, to learn about life before studying. Gradually the tradition spread to other countries. In the West, students use gap year to acquire additional skills, as well as to participate in volunteer movements.

In America, the idea of gap year was proposed by educator Cornelius Ball. He is also the founder of the Center for Intermediate Programs, created to help high school graduates form an effective approach to studying at universities. This institution provides information on a variety of volunteer movements. Cornelius believed that students need time to make life choices and personal growth.

Benefits of Gap Year

Gap Year has many advantages, let’s list the main ones.

Work experience

You can use your year off from school to look for work to gain experience, get to know your profession better, learn additional skills, and have more confidence in your choices. Working in a profession gives you self-confidence, teaches you how to communicate with people, and how to make responsible decisions. Starting your career early is a huge plus, because experience is important to all employers. If you have it, it will be much easier to find a good job after graduation.

While working part-time, you learn time management, budget planning, and decision-making skills.

Resetting

Gap Year provides an opportunity to reboot, gives you a chance to relax. The gap year between school and university allows you to catch your breath after a grueling race. After all, eleventh-graders not only study, but also take part in Olympiads, sports competitions, and additionally study specialized subjects. Many of them attend courses to prepare for the Unified State Exam. The load in the final years of school is enormous, and moral pressure is added to it. All this is fraught with physical and mental exhaustion, which can turn into a problem in the first year of university. After a year of rest and regaining strength, you can study more fruitfully.

New Opportunities

A gap of one year between school and university opens up new opportunities. These can be trips that you didn’t have time for before, or interesting work. It is up to each student to figure out how to make the most of his or her gap year. It is important not to miss out on new opportunities, because there may not be as many in the future because of busyness.

New skills

The free year is worth using to learn new skills. Engage in something that you didn’t have time for before. Many young people use the year for career guidance, part-time work in various areas, so that the decision about the future specialty was not spontaneous. The free year often helps in the search for a life’s work.

Broadening your horizons

This is a good opportunity to broaden your horizons. More often than not, new knowledge is gained while traveling. If you have a chance to see the world or volunteer in another country, you should take it.

Gap Year contributes to the restoration of physical and mental health. There are many positive aspects to this trend, it rapidly embraces the world, helps to learn and make new acquaintances.