Students need breaks! For some students, a two or three month summer break isn't long enough. Some students need time to live, explore, understand, transition and find themselves. A gap year is a break in education after completing high school before continuing your education at a college or university. A gap year offers students an extended period of rest. This free time can help students refresh their minds, focus on personal aspirations, and better prepare for college. Success-seeking students should have the option and ability to take a gap year between high school and higher education with 0 college readiness opportunities and focus on career goals. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay While being popular in Europe for a long time, gap years have started to gain popularity here in the United States as well. While no formal statistics have been recorded on student participation in gap year programs; the American Gap Association, based in Portland, Oregon, has found in its surveys that approximately 30,000 to 40,000 students participate in gap year programs each year. Between 2014 and 2015, the participation rate increased by approximately 22%. There are many different paths to take when taking a gap year. Students can do internships, work, travel, take part in various programs, or take a break from education and work in minimum wage jobs. One may want to focus on work or internship while another may want to focus on travel. While many would like to travel for the entire gap year, for some it is not possible. The bright side is that gap years are full of possibilities. Some students can spend their gap years however they choose. It is understood that some students don't have the financial stability to travel and explore as much as others and other students don't really have their minds set on specific gap year programs or ideas. Gerwels, a professor of educational psychology, says that planning a gap year “can require sacrifices and a lot more work than initially anticipated.” Gerwels argues that although taking a gap year appears to be an excellent choice for students, students should weigh the benefits and costs of their choices before deciding whether they should take a gap year and what exactly they will decide to do during their gap year. year. Students have several opportunities to seize when dealing with a gap. Students need to think about exactly what they want to achieve or achieve in the process. Some students may wish to gain more work experience; some students may want to gain more life experience. Some students may simply want to travel the world and gain more knowledge about the world, while others struggle to figure out what they would like to do with their year off. Students who are really interested in taking a gap year but don't know the best path to take can be assisted by gap year consultants. Regardless of their financial situation, goal-oriented students always manage to find a way out of nowhere. While a gap year may incur expenses, there are various programs that students can take part in to make their gap year accessible and worth ittake it. The Center for Temporary Programs consults with students and helps them find the best fit. The counselors involved in this organization help students find their perfect matches based on their “interests and budget.” They make “personalized referrals that include: group travel programs, low-cost volunteer options, internships, language schools, wilderness courses, academic semesters, research trips and much more.” During their gap year, a student can sit back and figure out what's best for him/her instead of just applying to school after school. Some students apply to schools because of their popularity; they like schools for their bands, football teams, or simply because most of their friends are interested too. Some students apply to a school that offers the degree program they are looking for, but just because a school offers a certain program doesn't necessarily mean their program is the best. The student will have more time to make the right decision. Fitzsimmons, McGrath, and Ducey point out that high school students sometimes have their minds set on certain careers and college majors without really taking the time to figure out whether it's truly the best fit. path for them. While some know exactly what they're getting into, other students apply to various universities without paying attention to their majors or whether the schools are a good fit for their interests, according to "many observers." Students are sometimes pressured to enroll in schools early to feel as if they have not been “left behind”; they see it as a need to go ahead and apply early while everyone else does the same. Some have described it as "hysteria." Furthermore, according to Fitzsimmons, McGrath, and Ducey, many students immediately feel the thrill of freedom and begin engaging in self-harming activities. At many universities, counselors have had to increase their involvement with students due to the demands of the overwhelmed student body. On the other hand, some students who have graduated and become successful in their fields of study have wondered whether the college experience and struggle were worth the effort of entering the real world. Some experts in their fields of study ended up where they are because of the high hopes their parents or others had for them and not because they had the desire to. They didn't have the chance to live as young and free as they would have liked because their minds were simply set on the future and career goals. According to a portion of the 2015 National Alumni Survey by Nina Hoe, PhD, Institute for Survey Research, Temple University, and the AGA Research Committee, 92 percent of respondents had the opportunity to “gain life experience and grow personally.” A gap year gives students time to mature and have a better sense of the world as young adults. Some students go straight from high school to college and don't know how to behave like responsible adults. They just want to have fun regardless of the possible consequences. Most of the time, students who have had unsuccessful freshman years have them because they are not used to the freedom to do what they want when they want, they always had it easy in high school, or they are simply not mature enough. Taking a gap year gives students the opportunity to gain more knowledge or experience in whatever aspect they choose. Taking a gap year from productive pursuits can help students gain greater focus and determination. Students who took gap years before attending Harvard adoptthe 'gap year' habit of students in the UK. Although some countries require students and other people to take part in military service, most students are “poised in praise” regardless of what was done during their free time. Students who have taken time off describe it as “life-changing” or a “game changer.” Their prolonged transition helped them visualize their aspirations at a higher level. It helped them better understand what they wanted and expected in academia and in their future careers. Most of these students agreed that they would take gap years again because they benefited from them. Being able to figure out exactly what you want in life can increase your chances of having a successful path to your future career. The activities that students decide to take part in during their extended break can help them understand what their real interests are. The activities that students take part in during their extended break may possibly lead them in a different direction than before. Some students think they had it all figured out in high school only to get to college and realize that wasn't the case. Some students get to college and realize that the choices they made were not the best ones for them. Some students choose the wrong schools, the wrong major, the wrong major, or the wrong career path. The gap year gives students more time to figure everything out. Having more time to analyze their aspirations, interests and goals gives them more time to realize which college and career choices are best for him/her. Some students choose majors and future career goals based on salaries; some students choose specializations without understanding exactly what path their career will take them. While a gap year can be beneficial for students, the results are not always positive for every student who chooses it. It is possible that some students may begin to slow down or fall behind. Some students may become accustomed to the life of not attending school and no longer want to deal with academic stress. Students who easily begin to lose focus are not the best candidates for taking gap years. Not every student should take a gap year; a gap year is not suitable for students who insist on rest and relaxation throughout the break. Their gap year taking a fall is simply their fault because plans aren't followed through. A gap year is only useful and beneficial to those who benefit greatly from it. It needs to be taken seriously and students need to come to a conclusion about what they want to get out of it in the end. Taking time off can be scary or “daunting” for some families. Some students find themselves wanting to take the same paths as others around them. Parents often worry whether their children will continue to enroll after taking a break. Not only is it scary not to know if a student will lose focus, but they may also lose their academic study habits and “skills.” “High school counselors, college administrators and others who work with students taking time off can help with reassurance that the benefits far outweigh the risks.” Many universities encourage students to take gap years. According to Fitzsimmons, McGrath, and Ducey, "Harvard College encourages admitted students to defer enrollment for one year to travel, pursue a special project or activity, work, or otherwise spend time.