Almost everyone has a friend or acquaintance who has taken a gap year before attending college. He or she posts fun pictures on social media from around the world, and leaves everyone back home thinking about how rich or lucky that person is. Some may think taking a gap year and starting college late is frivolous. How could a gap year benefit someone?

A gap year is actually quite attainable and beneficial for a student, even if they are in high school, still in college or a graduating college senior.

According to the Gap Year Association, the gap year was started in the U.K. during the ‘70s to contribute to the students’ development through international experiences between final exams and the beginning of university. It was brought to the U.S. in the ‘80s by Cornelius H. Bull to increase self-awareness, broaden cultural perspectives, help in experimenting with future careers and relieve academic burn-out.

A gap year can be after 12 long years of typical K-12 education, during or after college. Gap years not only relieve burn-out, but can revive one’s passion for academic and career-focused interests. 

This would mean a student could return to further education, like graduate school, with a renewed passion for his or her studies, or he or she could hit the workforce with a fresh attitude. It can relieve the monotony of everyday life and the intensity of the long years of studying.

Taking advantage of a gap year can be done in a variety of opportunities or programs, it just depends on what the student wants to do.

The gap year is also beneficial career-wise because it gives the student a broadened experience and perspective of the world around them. According to a series of independent studies by the Gap Year Association, gap years have been shown to improve the lives of students. Approximately 88 percent of students participating in the study have shown their gap year significantly added to their employability. Many students who have taken a gap year have also reported they were quite happy with their jobs. 

According to these independent studies, the top three outcomes for gap years were gaining a better sense of who the individual is as a person and what is important to them. They received a better understanding of other countries, people, cultures, and ways of living. The gap year also provided the student with additional skills and knowledge that contributed to their career or academic major.

The gap year leads to students becoming established adults who have good heads on their shoulders. Gap years lead to confident and motivated students who want to learn more and thrive. They help students to perform better and to actually know what they want in life, while utilizing their new-found skills.

There are so many different ways students can participate in a gap year. There are scholarships for students continuing school afterwards. There are internships, job opportunities and many programs one can discover. They can be budget-friendly and safe for students travelling domestically or internationally. One just needs to do research with credible organizations that have programs for the gap year.

Some resources students can utilize are MyGoAbroad, OnlineAdvisor, GoAbroad and FundMyTravel. Students can also research volunteer or internship opportunities, and do ample research on what to do versus what not to do.

Taking a gap year can lead to amazing experiences in places like Morocco, France, Egypt, South Africa, China or England. Students can obtain a remarkable new set of skills with a more stable mindset of their future. They will have many more life experiences to share with their friends back home. Take a chance on a gap year and gain the experience of a lifetime before you go off to further your education.

Abigail Varnado is a 21-year-old English senior from Amite, Louisiana.