What is a gap year?
The Gap Year Association (GYA) defines a gap year as “a semester or year typically taken after high school prior to career or post-secondary education to deepen one’s practical, professional or personal awareness.” Vanessa Zuidema, associate director for GYA, also acknowledges that the pause can happen at other life phases, such as during college. While taking a gap year has been common in areas like Europe, it has only recently grown in popularity in the United States. The topic gained much press attention in 2016 when then-first daughter Malia Obama decided to take a gap year and deferred her start at Harvard University to the following school year. The coronavirus pandemic also led more students to take a break from academics to pursue a gap year. What exactly students choose to do during a gap year can take various forms. “Some students spend time on career exploration, some want to do a cultural experience internationally, while others decide to do a service-learning program,” explained Zuidema. Zuidema took a gap year herself during her university studies. “I did a gap year after my freshman year of college,” said Zuidema. “I traveled to the Caribbean for a cultural experience and language immersion program. It was an excellent opportunity to focus on something I wanted to do. I didn’t have the best first year college experience and being able to take a pause and reflect on what that meant helped me return to school with more focus and helped me define what I wanted to do for the next three years of my higher education pursuits.” For parents of kids considering a gap year, Zuidema advises families to discuss with their student what goals they have for their gap year and what they want to achieve. “Go in with some intention; state your goals and develop a plan for the gap year and after it,” said Zuidema. She also recommends looking at what the implications would be for your student’s college planning. Morgan Brammer, M.Ed., director of recruitment at the University of Oklahoma
Office of Admissions and Recruitment, says most colleges and universities will provide a deferred admission or “gap year” option. In this case, the student will still apply to the school for the year they intended, but they can defer admission for one or sometimes two years if accepted. “Alternatively, if a student simply doesn’t apply for college after their senior year of high school and just takes a year or two off, I would say the best way to illustrate the experiences they gained [once they are ready to apply] is to share stories of growth, perseverance, lessons learned and how they have bettered themselves in that time away from academia,” advised Brammer. “There are many positives to outline and their experiences should shine in that admissions essay!” Parents may be concerned about their student not continuing with school if they take a break for a gap year, but studies by GYA have found the opposite to be true. Data from their 2020 National Alumni Survey found 83 percent of respondents enrolled in or continued their higher education after a gap year. In Spohn’s case, her gap year redefined her life purpose. After completing her time at GOLD, Spohn gained a new perspective and respect for the elderly and terminally ill, a group often forgotten by society. “Our culture has a hard time grappling with the idea of growing old and being at a point in life where one might have trouble remembering things or can’t be in a job anymore,” reflects Spohn. “People might look at the elderly and say, ‘They don’t have the same purpose as I do’ since we often cling to things like our careers, but I’ve realized that you are still an amazing, dignified and fully alive human being even when you are old. Elderly people have a perspective that you can’t learn from other places, like how one can be content just by being in someone else’s presence, sharing life together and enjoying a good laugh.” Now 21, Spohn is completing a bachelor’s degree in studio art at Western Kentucky University while also fulfilling prerequisites for nursing, a career path inspired by her time working as a GOLD LifeGuard.
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