College leaves little time for long-term volunteer or service-oriented work. Both of these activities can be undertaken during a gap year. Whether it is volunteering for an organization building homes for the less fortunate or helping out at an orphanage in Delhi, India, these jobs provide real help for needy people while expanding volunteers' life experiences, maturity and compassion. Check out Gap Year, a clearinghouse site for volunteer activities and jobs available for gap year students.
College can be expensive, and not every family can afford to send their children away to a four-year university. This is particularly true in families with multiple children. A year off from school allows students to work and save up money for a year, easing the financial burden on themselves and their families. An added advantage of this is that students can gain valuable work experience and make occupational contacts and references prior to their college education.
While they do not usually pay much or anything in terms of a salary, internships can provide students in a gap year with valuable work skills in a field of their interest. While many students enter college unsure of which major field of study to pursue, an internship can help narrow their focus into an area of both interest and experience, allowing them to get a jump on their fellow college students. They may also develop connections with a company that will be useful after graduation, especially when looking for a job within the same company.
Students entering college may only have a small grasp on the world outside the United States. A gap year spent traveling around the world, while expensive, can broaden their minds, cultural sensitivities and awareness while allowing them the opportunity for amazing sights and encounters with the people of the world. This can also be a good chance to learn a new language through immersion.
After over a decade of year-round education, the prospect of four more years of even more intensive schooling can seem daunting to a graduating high school student. Some students need time off to mature, prioritize and re-energize. A gap year can help students achieve these goals, leaving them ready to tackle the rigors of college academics with more enthusiasm.