Page 24 - Education Guide

The benefits of taking a gap year

hereas high school considered had they not found
graduates once felt the time to volunteer.
GUIDE W in college the fall students with opportunities to
■ Gap years may provide
compelled to enroll
travel. Some organizations now
after receiving their high school
diplomas, nowadays a greater
connect students taking gap
number of teens are opting to
years with opportunities to
EDUCATION take time off between graduat- work overseas. The work may
ing high school and going to
not be lucrative, but it can give
college. Known as a "gap year,"
students the chance to experi-
this trend has become increas-
ence life in other countries.
Such an experience may prove
ingly popular in recent years.
According to the American
better understand the world that
Gap Association, attendance at
Metro Creative Connection
awaits them.
Gap Year Fairs, which aim to Some students find it easier to focus on their college education if they take a year invaluable and help students to
bring together Gap Year organi- off between high school and college. ■ Gap years give students a
zations, interested students and chance to exhale. Students
parents, has increased by 294 for his or her classmate. How- incoming freshmen to choose who spent their high school
percent since 2010. While there ever, the following are some of majors, but that does not stop years working hard in the class-
are no statistics indicating just the potential benefits of taking many from doing just that. room and engaging in extracur-
how many students take gap a gap year between high school Students who have no idea ricular activities may benefit
years before going to college, and college. what they want to study can from the time to breathe and
the increase in fair attendance ■ Gap years give more time benefit from the time gap years relax that gap years afford.
suggests more students are to find a major. Many incom- afford them to further explore Stepping away from a hectic
interested in taking a year away ing college freshmen feel pres- their interests. The year away schedule can provide students
from school after earning their sured to choose a major even may help students discover with the chance to reflect on
2018 high school diplomas. though they are uncertain about hidden interests, while volun- their interests and explore how
which courses of study they
teering during gap years may
they want the next chapter of
Each student is different, so
FEBRUARY 18, a gap year may not do the same universities may not require they otherwise may never have Metro Creative Connection
their lives to unfold.
inspire some to pursue careers
hope to pursue. Colleges and
what entices one student to take
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