Ten months of school, two month break, repeat. Study, stress, test, repeat. ACT, SAT, AP’s, finals, repeat. This cycle continues whether one likes it or not, for twelve monotonous years. The early mornings, the late nights doing work, and a seven hour school day in between is tiring, and seemingly never ending.

Taking a year off following graduation from high school is recommended by many, mainly as a way for students to then enter college with a clear mind with fresh inspiration from their gap year. Taking a gap year is arguably a better option than jumping right into another education cycle. A large sum of students, whether at an Ivy League or a mediocre school, have no idea what they want to do with their lives. Jumping from one school to the next surely won’t help in that process. By entering the “real world” for a year, seeing how other people live, and garnering experiences and ideas from around the world,  students’ goals can be put into perspective.

The main issue that people find when looking to take a gap year is cost. Though the wealthy may spend their gap years traveling the world and staying in 5-star hotels, the majority of the student population are not as fortunate. Instead, there are work programs throughout the world, where people work from place to place, country to country, earning money while experiencing the cultures of each country visited.

Working as an assistant in a preparatory school is offered by “LetzLive”, a website dedicated to getting students jobs during their gap years. Students work during the week, and are given time on the weekend to explore.  Where many will say that one could simply work at home, this does not really offer perspective or give an extraordinary opportunity like working abroad. Working abroad allows for students to make money that can be saved for their future college experience, while creating a unique experience apart from their fellow peers. Senior Thomasin Wadsworth is contemplating taking a gap year, herself.

Thomasin has friends and family within different countries across Europe, which helps with her accommodation if she chooses to take the gap year.

Thomasin said, “I may take a year to work in a chalet in France, and possibly England as well.”

Where cost is seen as an issue for many, another concern is that those who go away will not want to go back to school. This problem is acknowledged by popular college website, College Confidential. The website actually states that the “break from academics” will allow students to go back to school with “renewed vigor and focus”, and even maturity. College Confidential also states that when looking into jobs later on in life, a year abroad, working to pay for one’s tuition, shows character and good work ethic.

Deferring enrollment from college should be considered by all high school seniors in the coming months. They have worked relentlessly for years and deserve a break that, in a way, prepares them even more than college right after graduation.