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How can you know if it's the right decision to take a gap year before college?

I have been considering taking a gap year before I start college, however, at the same time I feel ready to begin college life. I researched and talk to others but didn't really receive any great advice. How can you make this decision? #travel #maturity #hardchoice #college #college-advice #gap-year

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Nicole’s Answer

If you're torn between a gap year and starting college, you may want to consider starting college, but planning to study abroad your sophomore year. This would allow you to start college, but you'd still be planning towards an experience in the ballpark of the gap year. You can even do multiple countries during the same year. During my sophomore year of college, I did the fall semester in France and the spring semester in Spain. I took two months in between semesters and traveled to 11 different countries in Europe. I don't regret going my sophomore year rather than my junior year. A couple of items to note that may influence your decision: 1. Some colleges require that you have a certain number of credits completed before you can study abroad. Most of the time, these credits equal the amount you would typically have as a junior. If you're transferring in dual-enrollment credits, you're ahead of the game. (That's actually how I was able to study abroad my sophomore year.) Again, this does vary by university, so it's definitely something you'll want to check out. 2. Do you have the financial means to support yourself during your gap year if you choose that route? Are you going to get a job or do you just want to travel? If you just want to travel, it can get very pricey, even if you set yourself a hard budget. The advantage of doing study abroad while you're in school is that all of your government aid (loans, grants, etc) is not affected, which means that you can actually use your same loans to pay for an apartment, buy food, etc. Depending on where you end up studying abroad and how well you budget, you could end up with money that you can put towards your next semester instead of having to spend it all on one costly semester in the United States. This depends heavily on the program, but it's definitely something to consider.
Study Abroad programs are available for almost any major and they're always an asset on your résumé. Many of them are flexible. If your goal is to travel as much as possible, look into a "Semester at Sea" program or something similar. These programs allow you to travel to multiple countries while still completing coursework. Like I mentioned before, there are so many options, so if you feel like you're ready to start college, you may want to start, but start looking into study abroad programs as soon as possible so that your adventure will be waiting for you!
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Eliza’s Answer

What specifically have you considered doing during your gap year? What country or countries would you want to spend time in? Do you have the financial means to do this? It's much easier to make a decision when you're looking at specifics (such as X program in Y country, which costs $Z, vs. moving to X city to start as a freshman at Y college).
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Alishia’s Answer

First you would need to determine the why behind the need for a gap and if it is necessary. If it is because you just want to take a break, travel, etc, that may be a distraction. If it is personal family reasons, financial, etc then you can figure up a plan to stay on track. Taking a year break can turn into 20 before you know it. It happened to me. Eventually I went back and now have my MBA, but it was a struggle to balance work, family, and all that comes with that. My recommendation would be to get it started and completed as soon as possible if college is really what you want to pursue. Enjoy those college years while young. Best of luck!!
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Richard’s Answer

A gap year sounds like a bad idea to me. You might develop bad habits that will negatively affect your education. Keep going while you are in the study "mode." After a year of working (or traveling or volunteering) it will be harder to hit the books when classes start.
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