Pro Con Gap time between high school and college

Con: Keep it rolling

ANGELICA LOPEZ Reporter @roundupnews

From the moment a student enters high school, college is the only thing teachers will talk about for the next four years. Students are expected to have passing grades, participate in extracurricular activities and have a social life all while paying attention to college application deadlines.

When do we have time to figure out what we want to do with the rest of our lives?

Taking time off between high school and college can be a solution to all the worries and doubts one might have when barely coming out from high school. It serves as time to think about the different options that are out there.

There are many careers that are unconventional and can only be discovered by going out into the real world. The American Gap Association National Alumni Survey Report concluded that students take a gap year to get experience, mature, travel to other parts of the world and take a break from “the traditional academic track.”

While there are students who want to continue their education right away, some students do want to take a year off just for the sake of getting a break from school. As soon as they are put in kindergarten, it doesn’t stop

Photographers: until twelfth grade. The amount of stress school puts on a student can be damaging to one’s mental health. The transition from high school to college can be a good opportunity to take the break that is needed. According to an article from Time Magazine, writer Katie Reilly references information from an American College Health Association Survey on the effects of declining mental health on college students.

“Nearly 40 percent of college students said they had felt so depressed in the prior year that it was difficult for them to function, and 61 percent of students said they had ‘felt overwhelming anxiety’ in the same time period,” Reilly said.

Taking time off between high school and college doesn’t necessarily mean a student is giving up on their academic endeavors. College is always an option that someone can go back to, whether it be a year or two later. You see it happen all the time. What you can’t pass up on is experiencing life.

CHELSEA WESTMAN Reporter @roundupnews

Taking on a gap year may seem like a feasible way for high school students to prepare for college. Little do they know the potential risks of losing valuable time and resources away from Academia.

When it comes to taking time off, statistics show how the benefits of a gap year outweigh its disadvantages, so most students tend to make this decision for various reasons. Forming a savings account, a new job experience or personal growth can seem delightful, but there are dire details that seem to get overlooked.

A crucial consequence of booking a gap year off is that students tend to miss out on several opportunities such as getting familiar with college and transfer programs.

Months or even years spent toiling and vacating can distract the student from their academic path. Forgetting about application processes would also make it more of a challenge to enroll in classes and register for financial aid.

A gap year doesn’t only make enrollment a painful process; it also can decrease the income of student's future career choice.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said high school graduates with no college degree had median weekly earnings of $726 and $1,310 for those holding at least a bachelor's degree.

Leaping into a gap year without much consideration can cause far more setbacks than expected.

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Investing longer periods of time outside of school can place a student academically behind, lowering transfer rates.

According to the Gap Year Association, those who took a gap year between high school and postsecondary education had the lowest transfer rate (16 percent), while those who took a leave of absence had the highest transfer rate (30 percent).

Many students realize too far into their gap year that they have lost essential skills they once had on standby in high school. The complication regarding adjusting back to educational structure can demotivate many high school graduates to continue with their academic progress.

Unfortunately, balancing college and a social or family life can present itself as the biggest obstacle for most students. A student might have a friend who took a gap year, while they chose to jump right into a college education. That friend most likely has lost connection with the student since they chose to not be on the same route.

Students delay their academic progression in the form of using a gap year for college preparation. Many factors are put at stake when a career or family life is prioritized over educational achievement.

It is ultimately up to the student to decide if taking a gap year is the best strategy. Although the benefits sound promising, students should reconsider jumping into a gap year to avoid possible financial struggles and stay on track.

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