Taking a gap year between high school and college has become increasingly popular and has many benefits for teens. Instead of going straight from high school to college, many teenagers take a year off from formal education to travel or volunteer. In some cases, you can actually earn college credit during this time, meaning you will still graduate from college in the same amount of time you would have. Here are three tips for considering a gap year:
Determine Your Goals
Before applying for any gap year programs or beginning to make travel plans, it's smart to spend time identifying your goals and putting them in writing. Otherwise, you may end up with a gap year experience that doesn't help you reach those goals and is less satisfying than it would have been otherwise.
One potential goal is to decide where you would like to attend college or what major you would like to focus on. Another goal is to supplement your high school education by learning a new skill, volunteering, or studying a foreign language abroad.
Research Your Options
Once you have identified your goals, begin researching your options for a gap year. While some teens simply book a one-way flight to Asia or Europe and hope for the best, a more structured, formal gap year program is a better bet.
Gap year programs allow you to have an adventure in between high school and college, while also providing you with support, a schedule, and the guarantee that you will have other teens enrolled in the same program who can become friends.
Consider a Semester at Sea
Semester at sea programs allow you to earn college credits while having the adventure of a lifetime. You will live on board a boat and sail to many beautiful places. In addition to these adventures, you will also take accredited college classes. By the time you enroll in a more traditional college, you will have college credits under your belt as well as many enriching life experiences.
Semester at sea programs are now being offered to current high school students as well as high school graduates, meaning you may be able to get a head start on your gap year, as long as your parents are okay with this plan.
If a gap year sounds appealing to you, it's a good idea to meet with your high school guidance counselor to discuss your best options and to ensure you get any needed applications turned in on time. Keep these things in mind as you look into high school gap year study abroad options.
Share20 May 2021
When I was a kid, my parents didn't care if I went to school or not. My mom and dad worked full time, and truthfully we didn't usually see them until well after school got out anyway. Unfortunately, this lack of schooling made it hard for me to learn valuable study habits. When I started taking school seriously later, I found that I was way behind where other kids my same age were. Fortunately, a few kind-hearted teachers helped to turn things around for me. They taught me techniques for how to learn, and I want to share them with you.
