By Kayla Gochez

Staff Writer

   The idea of taking a gap year has either been given praise or backlash. Many high school students do not know what they want to pursue after high school and taking a gap year has been seen as a way for students to discover their passions. Regardless of the praise, there are numerous reasons students should not partake in a year long venture away from academia. 

   The purpose of a gap year is to aid students in discovering their career path after high school. The appeal of it is that students will not have to spend a lot of money on college and the time taken away from school can give students once in a lifetime experiences. 

   According to studies taken by New York University, about 90% of students gain life experience and experience personal growth during their gap year.

   Although this may seem compelling written on paper, the reality of taking a year off from education to go travel is not as beneficial as it is made out to be. The likelihood of a gap year being successful depends on the extent of planning an individual does. One must consider the factors of comprising a thoroughly thought out plan of where and what places and events they will be partaking in during their year off. 

   Jessica Rosa from GoAbroad.com stated how taking a gap year takes a lot of planning and if planned incorrectly can result in a waste of time. 

   Young adults who have just graduated from high school have little to no experience of planning a year long trip to find themselves. Most individuals do not have the connections nor the networking ability to make their year long journey an impactful one. 

   Rebecca Safier from Student Loan Hero stated, “Although programs can help with planning your gap year, they can also be pricey. Volunteer programs, for instance, are rarely free. They often cost thousands of dollars…”.

   A common argument for taking a gap year would be saving money but an individual’s money will be going elsewhere into other costly things such as fees for their travels. Students alone cannot easily afford taking a year off.

   Studies shown by Year Out Group, “…only 10% of students fully funded their own gap year.”

   Often times when taking a gap year, one will be alone in their ventures and being disconnected from family and friends can be challenging. Also, being away from school for a year will put someone behind on their education and college experiences. 

   When going into college most students do not have a clear understanding of what they want to do with their lives but being in school can aid in the process. Taking a gap year will set someone further away from discovering themselves and their career path.