The gap year refers to a five-year undergraduate education that includes one year off, either at the beginning of the student's education or at some point during the student's time in college. The gap year gives students an opportunity to make sure they are ready for college and to gain a little life experience as they move from high school into college life. Students may spend their gap year traveling, visiting another country in which they have some special interest, or just trying to decide the major in which they would like to focus.
A standard four-year bachelor's degree requires approximately 120 hours of classes, though some programs require more. For a four-year student to complete this requirement, they must complete 12 to 15 hours each semester, with additional courses during the summer. This workload is stressful, often too stressful for students to hold more than a part-time job while they get their education. By moving to a five-year plan, a student is able to continue working close to full-time schedule, relieving some of the pressure to pay for college.
Students who require additional assistance in some classes can easily fall behind on the four-year plan, unable to find time to seek the help they require. This includes students taking upper-level courses, which tend to be more challenging, and students who take the basic requirements for fields in which they are not strong, such as a math major taking a writing composition course. By moving to a five-year schedule, a student has much more time to seek the help he needs or devote more study time to their lessons.
Colleges offer educational opportunities that are invaluable to a student's education, but are often disruptive to the standard four-year plan. These include the opportunity to study a foreign language overseas or the chance to work as an assistant to a professor on a project. These responsibilities may require a student to sacrifice class hours during a semester, in exchange for hands-on experience and valuable knowledge. By moving to the five-year plan, a student can make time for more of these opportunities and enjoy a more valuable learning experience.