Hello everyone! Today as mentioned from the title, I will be talking about how a gap year may be good for some to take and how it may be bad for others. The main aspects I will be writing about today are some pros and cons of gap years and some other ways someone can take a gap year without having to travel! I hope you all enjoy this blog :3.
Starting on a positive note, taking a gap year allows for someone to become recharged, and to lose their burned out feelings due to the stress that can be built up from high school, but also it allows for those who may not know what they want to do in the future to decided on a career, by taking a year to explore different jobs such as doing internships, and other types of career opportunities to truly figure out what they are interested in (1). Though gap years are very great to do because it allows for a person to discover or even rediscover their true hobbies, and find careers they feel are worth learning and doing for the rest of their life, but some cons can be that it may waste too much time as it can sometimes become longer than only one year. Moreover, gap years can become pricy depending on what a person is doing during them. An example of a cost of how expensive it can become for a single person to travel around the world for one year can average to around $20,000, which is practically almost 1-2 years of a post secondary education cost, so many may see this as a waste of money and time. However, being able to feel free and finding new passions will give more motivation to someone who may feel burnt out or unsure of what they want to do in the future, as well as convince, and show them what careers they like, and what they can stay away from (2)!
Furthermore, though thinking of going on a year long trip may create stress financially for some, doing internships can reduce that stress, as well as give others career opportunities and help them find the true career they are looking for. Many may fear that taking a gap year to do internships may bring them back a step but 98% of students who take gap years state they have developed as a person, and 96% have gained job opportunities from doing internships and as many may say, putting themselves out there (3).
There are many positive thing about doing internships and traveling during a gap year as majority tend to do one or the other during their gap years; however, many are scared because they feel they will lose potential opportunities that others who decided to attend post-secondary right away may be able to gain. This idea can be said about the same choice, as those who decided to go to post-secondary right away may feel that taking a break from school and finding themselves and a source of motivation may be more beneficial to them as this will also allow for a lesser chance of having academic burnout during the first years of their post-secondary life (4).
Overall, whether it be the cost that is causing someone to think about taking a gap year, or the though of losing opportunities to cause someone of becoming hesitant of taking a gap year, the future outcome of a person depends on the choices that they decide to take, and picking one option over the other does not mean someone picked the wrong, or right one! Taking a gap year can clear someones mind to feel fresh for their new life after high-school, and not taking one can cause for someone to stay on an academic grind on becoming someone they wish to be in the future! There is no right or wrong answer, but everything mentioned above are some pros and cons of how gap years can be good and bad, and how you do not only have to travel on a gap year!
I hope everyone enjoyed reading my blog for this specific question, and I hope for everyone to also enjoy my up coming blogs about gap years :).
(1) Mulugeta, M. (2022). Should you take a gap year? Pros, and cons! Retrieved April 20, 2023, from https://www.bestcolleges.com/blog/what-is-a-gap-year/.
(2) F, A. (2023). Gap Year Costs Comparison. Retrieved April 22, 2023, from https://worldtravelfamily.com/gap-year-costs-comparison/.
(3) Aboard, I. (2023). Best Gap Year Internships for 2023. Retrieved April 22, 2023, from https://www.internhq.com/about-you/gap-year-internships/.
(4) Bonne, F. (2022). Pros and Cons of Taking a Gap Year Before College. Retrieved April 22, 2023, from https://www.fontbonne.edu/pros-and-cons-of-taking-a-gap-year-before-college/.
Hey Negar,
You did a really great job of presenting both the pros and cons of taking a gap year. You have mentioned various options that someone can choose from during their gap year, like internships, to avoid the cost of traveling. To improve your next post, you might want to share personal experiences or stories of people who took gap years to make it more relatable to the readers. Additionally, you could include some advice for those who are considering taking a gap year, like how to prepare for it or how to find affordable opportunities.
Here are two links that you might find helpful!
https://www.gooverseas.com/gap-year
https://blog.collegevine.com/should-i-take-a-gap-year-pros-and-cons-of-taking-time-off-before-college/
Hi Negar,
Wow! You’re writing was very detailed and informative. For example, I loved how you added clear statistics on the percent of people that took gap year. You said that 98% of students said they developed as a person. This motivated me to consider taking a gap year. I love travelling, but I did not consider taking a gap year because I was worried that it will take away my study flow for future studies.
Some questions I have for you are: what are the past experiences of people that took gap years and those you did not take gap years? Do people who did not take gap year regret it? What are some more specific examples people do during gap years (other than internship, travelling,etc)?
1)https://www.brown.edu/academics/college/advising/curricular-resource-center/guide-gap-years/additional-resources/additional-gap-year-resources
2)https://careercenter.umich.edu/article/gap-year-resources
3)https://www.middlebury.edu/college/admissions/apply/gap-year/resources
I really enjoy learning about gap years through your posts!
Sarah
Hi Sarah! Im glad you were informed from my post!! I agree with how you feel also as those are some thoughts I also am thinking about when it comes to gap years, so I hope you can make up your mind comfortably with no regrets!! I will definitely be mentioning some of the questions you asked in my next post as the one about whether people who do not take gap years might regret it so thank you so much for suggesting that!! I hope you also enjoy more of my blogs later on :).
Hi Negar,
This is a really unique and cool topic! You did an awesome job with your research and you were very thorough. I think your topic is great for teenagers to learn about, as lot of teenagers stress and think about what they will do after highschool. Taking a gap year is definitely an option that many teens should consider.
Here are some resources that may help you in your research:
https://gapforce.org/ca/why-take-gap-year
https://www.asvabprogram.com/media-center-article/190
I can already tell that all your next blogs will be just as informative and awesome as this one was. I cannot wait to read more!
-Natalie:)
Hello Negar,
Great blog post! Your topic is indeed very interesting, unique, and important. A lot of teenagers probably go through their education journey without knowing what a “gap year” is, and I think it’s really great to spread information about a gap year. Keep up the great work!
Here are some websites that you might find useful.
1. https://www.gvicanada.ca/blog/does-taking-a-gap-year-before-college-affect-your-admission-chances/#:~:text=Taking%20a%20gap%20year%20before%20college%20(or%20university)%20won‘,the%20best%20of%20both%20worlds.
2.https://www.quora.com/Does-taking-a-gap-year-make-you-seem-undesirable-to-colleges