Gap year

Just wondering has anyone on here taken a gap year between high school and university?? What did you do and how did it go?

* In fact it doesn't just have to be between high school an uni that's just what I'm thinking about.

[devushka]

I did one last year between high school and college and I think it was one of the best choices I've ever made. I was burned out after a very intense high school experience and wanted to take a year to pursue my own interests without grades. I decided to go to Russia with the Rotary Youth Exchange program. I was the only American in my city and lived in families and attended school with Russian kids. It was a great form of linguistic and cultural immersion. It was a hard year emotionally (I am introverted and had some problems with culture shock), but it was extremely rewarding in the end and I left with friends and host families that mean a lot to me. It also helped me appreciate my education more. I felt very academically refreshed this year and I think it has helped me focus in terms of the path I want to take.

What are you thinking about doing? If you have any specific questions,feel free to post them here or PM me!

[starfish]

I wanted to take a year off between high school and college. At the time I had a good job that paid good for someone right out of high school. I wanted to work for the year and save up money so I could live on campus. My dad would have none of it and we went round and round on it. So I started to school and got a promotion at work. My promotion required that I work full time and often 50 hours a week. About half way through my first semester I just quit going to school and moved out of the house.

A couple of years later I was laid off and decided I want to go back to school. Even though I moved back home I had to pay for school my self. About six months later my truck died and I bought a new one. Along with other expenses I was stuck working way too much and going to school. It took my 7 years but I did finally graduate.

In hind sight I should have stood up to my dad and taken the year off and lived on campus. If I had done that I would have graduated in 6 years after high school instead of the 9 that it took me. C'est la vie.

[davo-man]

I didn't take a year off between high school and uni, but I am planning to semi-take a year off in 2010. By that I mean that I'm going to do an exchange program to Toronto, Canada for the first semester, then go straight from there to London, France and Italy. In Italy I'm backpacking for a month with high school friends (as many as I can get, currently I have 5 people in on it ), then the rest of the trip is by my myself

I say definately do it, cos you're only going to be young once and when we're older, we're going to regret the things we don't do, rather than the things we do do. Good luck

[thespanishheart]

I would love to, but it's not a good idea for me. I'm no good in math, and I'm scared to forget everything if I took time off. I'm taking my sweet time with my associates degree right now. I want to have 3 classes each semester, and only 2 in the summer semester. I'll graduate in 2011, but I don't care. My job is going well, and the schedule fits. I'll probably go even slower to get my Bachelors.

I am just finishing mine tonight! I leave on Tuesday but having a send off tonight to say one last goodbye.

Honestly it was the best choice I ever made. I hasve had a ball over here. My job description was kinda odd (Groundsman, Teacher, Secretary, Kitchen) but it gave me so much experience that you just can't get anywhere else.

The school I went to was in Norfolk and the staff here were soooo nice. I was really sad when school broke up on Friday :_( because I may never see these nice folk again.

Its great also because you can do little trips to Europe whenever you feel like it. I made so mnay friends from around the world just by staying in hostels and tagging along with people during the day. It also stopped me from burning out because honestly, I didn't want to be constrained to a desk studying for another 4 years before I actually got some proper work.
That was my year in a nutshell if you want to know more just PM me or something

[Apocalypte]

I took a year out, but not after school - I took a year out between third and fourth year of my CS degree. I worked an absolutely rotten tech support job for the year and I lived out with friends. The year out did help to refresh me, but it made things *very* difficult when I returned to college as I was very rusty on certain things.

[Nixon]

I wouldn't just tougher to get in grad school

and its a wasted year

im currently in my year off between college and grad school

[davo-man]

Originally Posted by Nixon

I wouldn't just tougher to get in grad school

and its a wasted year

I completely disagree...It gives you world experience, and improves your communication skills immensely (that is if you go to another country). Also, if you go to another country, you learn a completely new culture, and learn to appreciate your way of life etc.

Alternatively, there are great incentives to take a year of to work full time in Australia. If you earn over $18000 in the year between high school and uni, you get a $150 per week youth allowance for the years you are in uni. Seems pretty worthwhile to me.

Also, it looks great on your resume. Many of the "gappers" do charity work in other countries, which makes you gold in the eyes of prospective employers/universities.

That said, it's not for everyone, however a blanket statement that it's "a wasted year" is not correct.