The Pros and Cons of Taking a Gap Year

Advantages

1. A chance to mature before entering university – in secondary school, you probably leaned a fair bit about how to be a good student. On the other hand, you likely learned very little about life experience. Gap years can provide students the chance to learn responsibility on a different level. Whether you’re planning a trip around the world or working as a store manager, you’re going to be fending for yourself as an adult for the first time. When it comes time for dorm life or in your own apartment, handling the stresses of university may result in these hurdles being far less challenging to you than to others who go directly in from secondary school.
2. An opportunity to regroup – Secondary school can be a very stressful time for students. Between preparing for university academically and searching for the right post-secondary institution(s) (PSIs), many students feel pretty beatten up by the time they graduate. Changing course and doing something besides school for awhile can be a much-needed break psychologically.
3.  You’ve never done anything before besides being a student – and if you go right to university, nothing will really change. Spending a year doing something else will help you gain new perspective on everything in your life, including you academics. For example, imagine how much more meaningful that European History class can be if you have actually been to Europe during your gap year. Or, picture, how different your psychology class will be if you’ve spent the year getting to know a variety of different peoples from a host of different cultural backgrounds.
4. A chance to figure out what you want – Not sure yet what university is exactly right for you at this point? Or, whether you’re intent in oing at all? A year off can help you think about and sort things out.
5. Impressive material for a resume and for university applications – Want your application to stand out? Spend a year doing something unique, and discuss in your personal essay how the experience changed you.
6. Money Issues – It’s no secret how expensive funding a university education can be. Depending on what you do during your year off, you might be able to save money.

Disadvantages

1. Losing momentum – For some students, a year off can be a refreshing break that helps you get into the swing of things in university. However, it also takes you away from the classroom experience, so you might be a bit rusty when you return.
2. Being a year behind – A year off will put you a year behind your friends. A gap year will put you further back on what can be, a long educational process.
3. Money issues – Some gap year experiences don’t require money (like working for a year) or are inexpensive (like teaching abroad for a year). But, others can be quite pricey and can be an added expense to an already costly university education.
4. Problems with organized trips – There are companies available to help students plan their gap year experience. Some of them have been criticized for doing too much to help students organize their gap year adventure. After all, if someone does all the work for you, how does that help you learn responsibility?

Weighing Your Options:

Taking a gap year is not for everyone, but neither is going directly into university following secondary school. The bottom line is that the decision is ultimately up to you. If you decide to go ahead with it, think long and hard about how you are going to spend your time. Plan well and, above all, make sure that whatever you do, you spend your time productively, thereby helping to ensure a unique contribution to your resume and any future university application.

(http://campuslife.suite101.com/article.cfm/the_college_student_gap_year)

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