Gap Year?

As the father of a high school senior, I have heard a lot of debate about gap years.

I know a few students who will take one.

In case you don't know what this means, taking a gap year means taking a year off of going to school between your senior year in high school and your first year of college.

Here are the pros and cons of taking a gap year.

Pros

Take a breath!

Being an 18 year old can be tough. I was 17 years old when I graduate high school. I feel that it's even tougher these days being a teenager. Social media hasn't really made things easier for a lot of kids. I strongly feel that there is a different kind of stress that teens feel in today's worlk that just wasn't there prior to 2010.

For some people, pressing the pause button on school can be a good thing. There is a much greater awareness of mental health issues that wan't really discussed when I was in high school. It's ok to say that you need a break, or that you would like to talk things through. College will always be there. There's no shame it taking a year off if it will significantly improve your life.

Earn Money

If money is an issue, then a gap year can be an opportunity to catch up on finances. Everyone has a different financial situation, and there are many reasons why a full-time income for one full year can be a good idea. I'd like to add that going this route would make the most sense if your employment was tied into what you feel you would want to study in college.

Internship

An internship can be a fantastic way to start learning about an industry, building a network, and gaining valuable experience in a field that you want to pursue a career in.

Most internships don't pay much money, but the trade off is that you can learn a business from the ground up.

I did not take a gap year, but I did do an internship in my senior year of college. I interned at MCA Records in Universal City. I did not get paid, other than free CDs, tee shirts, and other movie and music swag. But I did spend eight months learning about the distribution side of MCA's movie and music merchandise. I learned that being an intern allows for a surprising amount of access. Maybe there is something about not being paid and being temporary that helps with building trust among the staff.

Cons

Loss of Momentum

There are many stories of teenagers who took that year off, and just never went back. Only to regret it later in life. Maybe they didn't want to stop making money, or maybe life happened and they met someone. So many things can happen, but if the plan is to eventually go to college then it's critical to keep focused on that.

Colleges Will Notice

Many schools will look closely at why you took a gap year and how you spent that time away from school. From what I've read and heard, it's not a great look; but there are ways around that.

My Take

A gap year can be a good idea, but anyone that takes that year off needs to be very, very focused on how they spend that time.

If my kid was considering a gap year I would recommend looking for a job or internship well before high school graduation. In today's market, who knows if they will ever get hired. Ideally they would take a month off to basically get their head right. Sleep in, get school out of your system. Then jump into a job or internship. Be productive - ideally doing something in the field that you want to study. Working at Trader Joe's is great, but it won't help you if you want to major in Literature.

And if you can't find a job or internship that relates to your field, then find ways to be active in that field on your own time and your own dime. For example, if you want to want to study business and you can't find a job or internship - then start a business!

The important thing is to be able to make a compelling case to the schools you apply to at the end of your gap year. You will be competing with fresh, hungry high school graduates. Spend that gap year building a compelling case for why they should consider you.

Thoughts? Quesitons? Please comment and share.