MY TRUTH: About Gap Year

By: Cheryl Smith

When I first heard about it, I thought graduating seniors were saying they were going to spend a year working at the popular store, The GAP, to gain valuable work experience, or help finance their college education.

Once the chuckles were over, it was explained to me that a “gap year” is a “period, typically a year, taken off from formal education (like high school or college) to pursue other experiences, such as travel, work, or volunteering, before continuing with academics or a career.”

A gap year is considered as a time for personal growth, self-discovery, and gaining practical experience. 

Admittedly, there have been times when I have scoffed at the idea of a “gap year” because I sincerely believed that a decade of schooling should have adequately prepared everyone for the next step. 

I asked in amazement, “what the heck is a gap year, and why do you need one?”

I saw many young people shirking responsibility and looking for ways to experience being an adult in some ways while also living a reckless, irresponsible life and resorting to being a child anytime you desire.

While a gap year, also known as a sabbatical year, is a period of time when students take a break from their studies, usually after completing high school; it does not mean that you act irresponsibly and remain a child.

There’s even an association, The Gap Year Association (GYA), which is a nonprofit membership community for educators, students, gap year programs, consultants, counselors, and post-secondary institutions with a “shared VISION of cultivating a future where gap years are widely accessible and recognized as vital to personal, professional, and educational development.”
According to GYA, the key aspects of a gap year are:

Purpose:
Gap years are often taken to allow individuals to recharge, explore different options, gain new skills, and develop a clearer sense of their goals. 

Activities:
Common activities include travel, volunteering, internships, work experience, learning a new language, or pursuing personal projects. 

Timing:
Gap years typically occur between high school and college, but they can also be taken between college semesters or after graduation. 

Benefits:                                                                                                                                Improve self-awareness and confidence. 

Considerations:
It’s important to plan a gap year thoughtfully, considering personal goals, potential costs, and how to make the most of the experience. 

Impact:
Gap years can be transformative, helping individuals clarify their interests, develop valuable skills, and return to their academic or career paths with renewed focus and motivation.

I’ve done a lot of research on gap years and realize there are some benefits, actually many benefits.
Just thinking back over the uncertain years of COVID-19, I can see how some would need a few gap years.  

Socialization skills, as well as coping skills and conflict resolution exercises, suffered tremendously. 

People were isolated, even more than before.

In an interview years before COVID; singer, songwriter Dionne Warwick talked about how distant the world had become, how people lived in isolation and went from knowing everyone on their entire street to not knowing the person next door.

And with the advent of cell phones, in addition to the isolation COVID presented, we became more distant and lacking in social skills. 

The continued use of cell phones appears to be eroding society. 

According to the Mayo Clinic, there are several steps to take to cope with mental and social issues, and so a gap year appears to be just what the doctor might order — a gap year, with a period away from cell phone use.

Getting the right amount of sleep, moving your body, avoiding tobacco, alcohol, and drugs, and choosing healthy food and drinks are all recommended by the Mayo Clinic.

Doctors make a case for more physical activity, and I agree.

Pew studies recommend staying away from cell phones, and I agree.

Now I won’t say that the aforementioned are all occurring during a gap year, but nothing beats a failure but a try.

Living is tough.

You might check out gap years, months, weeks or days.  

You can receive coursework and there’s even an alumni association to assist you.

The name may change but the results could be the same —working on mental health and making the most out of life.