Gap year(s)

[thekarens]

I'd vote against it. I know way too many people who took a break either in the beginning or middle and never finished their degree. In this market it's hard to find even an entry level job with a degree much less without one.

I told both my boys they didn't have to go, but if they didn't they had to get a job and pay rent.

My oldest boy is a junior at a liberal arts college and will graduate debt free. He can take time off then if he wants to.

[Kiwi Stoker]

+ 1 thekarens. I wen striaght to 3 years uni after high school, then went working and went back and did night school. It was sooo hard to get back into the swing of studying, exams and researching. To be honest also the lure of money is hard to ignore as well.

If you know what you want to do at university, just go and do it. Even if you don't quite know but defineitely want to go, do it as the first year is really feeling out the direction you want to take, what department and lecturers are good etc.

I would only do a gap year if I had no idea what to do and then it would have to be organised (like employment or volunteering). Australia armed forces are offering a one "gap year" trial with no issues if you don't want to continue that is be interesting. You get paid plus get training credits like leadership skills etc which would be totally useful out in the real world.

[Owlie]

I'd vote against it. I know way too many people who took a break either in the beginning or middle and never finished their degree. In this market it's hard to find even an entry level job with a degree much less without one.

I told both my boys they didn't have to go, but if they didn't they had to get a job and pay rent.

My oldest boy is a junior at a liberal arts college and will graduate debt free. He can take time off then if he wants to.

I agree with this. I went straight from high school to college, but took a year off before I started my master's. It was a strange thing to get used to studying again.

[lph]

I hadn't heard the expression gap year, but I guess that's what I did - take 4 of them. At the time I remember being very convinced that many more should do something of the sort. I don't know the corresponding age groups in the US, but I quit school when I was 16 to work as a jockey apprentice. I come from a family of academics, and felt that this was my only chance to try it out or it would never happen. I was sure that I would go back to school at some point though. Worked full-time for four years, growing up and out of jockey stature ;-) and went back to school. I was then raring to go and got top grades the first year. Dwindled a bit the last year before university, but I was still incredibly motivated and a lot more mature compared to my fellow schoolmates, who were for the most part just dragging their heels until they were "done". Many of them were actively considering re-doing subjects at a private school later on, to improve their grades...

Maybe it doesn't have to be a gap year, but balance is good for you, whether it's a part-time job or volunteering or anything else. If you or she can afford it I'd say go for it. I wouldn't think of it as a break, though, but as a chance to work doing something different.

[Catrin]

I have a couple of co-workers who went to the Peace Corps between high school and college - and it worked well for them. It provided a different perspective of the world and the people who live in it.