Hi, I am trying to decide on a college and somebody suggested taking a gap year. I really hadn't thought about it before... but I am having a hard time deciding what to do. Has anybody here done a gap year? What did you do? What would you suggest? How did you decide?
Gap years have been a rite of passage in some countries for generations, while virtually unheard of in the United States until relatively recently. I think the primary reason pertains to the differences in how higher education is structured around the world. Outside of the U.S. it's more common to immediately commence studies for the profession you've chosen to pursue. I got into a university in England, and if I'd gone there I would have leapfrogged from high school directly into law school, skipping over earning an undergraduate degree first. As part of the application process I had to take their equivalent to the LSAT, the LNAT (The Law National Aptitude Test). The advantages are that it's an efficient use of your time and money, and enable you to concentrate on your forte. The disadvantage is that you're diving directly into the deep end, and that's intimidating. At least for me it freaked me out. Many high school-aged teens aren't yet ready to decide on their career path much less start down it full-speed. A gap year gives them the opportunity to grow into themselves more and to explore other possibilities for what they want to do with their lives. I have twin cousins in England who both embarked on gap years with plans for their studies and the careers it would lead them to, and returned with a whole new plans for their lives. Though they'd already secured their places in specific degree programs, it was much simpler to change courses since they hadn't yet begun their studies. Their gap year was definitely beneficial, but it was also expensive, because they like most of their friends through an agency that specializes in organizing gap year programs. They were volunteering abroad, but it was costly because they had their housing, travel, food, and other provisions set up for them.
In the United States most colleges have a liberal arts curriculum intended to equip students with a more expansive breadth of knowledge rather than focusing specifically on the classes to prepare you for a trade or profession. The comprehensive approach can make it feel a bit like your first year of college is the 13th grade of high school as you complete General Education Requirements in a range of subjects. But the perk is that it gives you what a gap year does - more time before making a decision. You get to swim around and test the waters of different potential majors instead of just choosing one pool and diving right in. Through this process you may discover previously unexplored fields of study. You may find that you can build up what you previously thought of as your weaknesses.
The former president of my college has quipped that the most popular major with freshman is "I Don't Know" and for sophomores it's "I've Changed My Mind." My friend told me about your other thread but I haven't read it myself yet to find out the context for why someone suggested taking a gap year, but my guess is that you mentioned not being certain on your chosen major and career. If that's the case, you're completely normal. I don't know yet if you've decided on the college you'll attend, but my advice is to go to the bigger state university that offers more diverse opportunities, has more name and employer connection, alumni networking, and costs less. If you're nervous about being a little fish in a big pond, as so many others are, reaching out in advance to make friends and connections will help you feel more confident. We just had Admit Weekend at my college and prospective freshmen who arrived knowing no one left with new friends. A ton who'd never been on Facebook before signed up specifically to be a part of the class of 2023 community there.
It's more common for Americans to take a gap year in between college and graduate school, to get in practical work experience, to travel, volunteer, whatever. Most of the law schools I'm planning on applying to permit you to defer for up to two years, and some other professional schools also allow deferments.
If you do decide on a gap year, then I'd accept a spot at a college to secure it and any scholarships you've been offered, and then apply to defer matriculation. That way you've got things organized. I do have friends in the US who've done this, mainly to pursue an opportunity that is beckoning them in the present, or for health reasons, or a personal family matter or something. Don't do it just because you haven't figured your life out yet. Living your life will help you to figure it out.
