Benefits of a Gap Year

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A gap year is a well known British custom which originated in the 1960s in which people take time off from their regular lifestyle of school or work activities to disengage from the rigid structure of these worlds and gain a valuable experience doing something else. A gap year is not necessarily twelve months but refers to any amount of time off. It can also be called a sabbatical. During this time people, particularly young adults, participate in traveling, volunteer work or working abroad. It is not a common for American students to have a gap year in between high school and college. It is a different culture where students go straight from one to the other, enjoying only the summer break in between. Some people wonder if American teenagers and young adults would benefit from engaging in this British custom. First notable fact about a gap year is the invaluable experience that a young person will gain. There is a lot to learn from living in another country, volunteering in non profit organizations and working abroad. Meeting people from other countries and experiencing other cultures is an eye opening and humbling experience. It is something that cannot be taught in a classroom or through a textbook but teaches you things that those elements could not. A gap year forces a child to become an adult. Especially if a young student is going abroad, they are forced to learn how to navigate life without the immediate help of their parents. They have to learn how to handle money, how to be responsible and how to conduct themselves in a professional manner. It forces a child to grow up and speeds up maturity. When confidence is gained, people tend to find a kind of certainty in themselves and become less dependent of others. This is good preparation for being at college which is different to being at high school. In a gap year going to another country which speaks

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