A large number of young adults are doing IT. In fact, many parents, churches, and schools encourage IT.
What is IT?
Traditionally, a gap year (also called deferred year, year abroad, bridge year, and time out) is simply taking a year off after graduating high school and before entering college. However, some young adults take time off after enrolling in college. This phenomenon was created in the UK during the 1960′s and has gained popularity in Australia, Canada, and even the United States.
Harvard College says this:
Harvard College encourages admitted students to defer enrollment for one year to travel, pursue a special project or activity, work, or spend time in another meaningful way – provided they do not enroll in a degree-granting program at another college.
Surprised?
Their research findings reveal that students focus much better when provided this deferred year. Did you know that Harvard College includes in a student’s acceptance letter the recommendation to take one year off before entering higher education? It is true. Perhaps this recommendation helps the school achieve their overall graduation rate of ninety-eight percent!
I recently discovered that Princeton funds gap year adventures for twenty incoming freshmen annually. The school’s goal is to offer this to about one hundred students per class.
11 Advantages of A Gap Year:
- allows them to take a breath from the academic conveyor belt
- increases their self-awareness and self-management
- teaches them others need what they can give
- learn new cultures
- meet new people
- think carefully about their career
- handling a budget
- learn a new discipline
- avoid burnout
- learn a new language
- increase their emotional development
7 General Myths About A Gap Year:
- my student will get side tracked
- my student will lose interest in attending college
- my student may influence the college to not like it that they took one year “off”
- my student will be wasting their time
- my student may never enroll
- my student will fall behind
- my student may lose their study skills
8 Helpful Websites:
- www.wikipedia.com
- www.gapyear.com
- www.collegeconfidential.com
- www.planetgapyear.com
- www.harvard.edu
- www.realgap.com
- www.timesonline.co.uk
- www.today.msnbc.msn.com
My wife and I recently financially and prayerfully supported a young lady in our church that is taking one year to travel the world. She will be in eleven countries, which equals out to one each month. She had to raise her own support of $14,000 for what is called the World Race. She has the opportunity to serve people and explore cities around the world. What an opportunity! One thing is for sure, she will gain experience and applied knowledge through this experience that her entire four years of college will never afford her.
Bottom line…is a gap year worth it? For most young adults, I would say yes.
If I could do life over again, I would have taken advantage of a gap year opportunity. I would have been better because of it.
Related posts:
yes, integrating this with leadershipxp is possible. perhaps leadershipxp is an option as to what you could spend your gap year doing.
cool bro. thanks for sharing.
That is sooooo crazy! because a few of my friends that just graduated and are doing IT. Their going of to a place called YWAM, or University of the Nations. This is crazy, and they will be pleased when i reblog this to them.
i’ve seen this idea get more popular with the students around our circles in the past few years too and i think it’s great. would you consider an integration with this idea and leadership xp?