A break after high school could be rejuvenating, inspiring and encourage exploration while having minimal impact on academics
High school graduation marks a time of celebration and kick off a two-month period of rest and summer fun before diving headlong into post-secondary education.
Right? Not necessarily.
Andrew Hall, a guidance counsellor at Blyth Academy, says that by the time students finish Grade 12, they might not be ready for three or four more years of school.
“Some students might feel burned out and need that break,” says Hall. “Others might not be ready for being independent at university or college. There really is no prescribed timing for finishing your education. I think it’s good to have some choices available.”
That’s why, he says, he’s “a big proponent of gap years,” with the condition that if a student is going to take a gap year, it should be a purposeful.
For some students, this means finding a job to pay for further education, says Hall. Others take the time to travel and explore the world. “But being aimless is not a good option. Have a plan.”
Hall says that it’s also an opportunity for a student to get to know themselves better and what they want to do.
“Taking a gap year has been a viable option in many parts of the world,” says Hall. “For example, students in Australia and Europe take good advantage of taking a gap year. Harvard University recommends a gap year for incoming students.”
Hall says that the Canadian Gap Year Association (CanGap) has excellent advice on how to manage a gap year. “They provide advice for not just students but parents and educators as well,” says Hall, “and point students in the right direction.”
Each student has a different path, says Tim Mook Sang, principal of the high school at St-Laurent Academy.
“They’re all going to get across the finish line, at different times and in different ways,” Mook Sang says, adding that taking a gap year allows students to take on challenges that aren’t necessarily academic, or gives them a chance to re-evaluate what they want to do.
Like Hall, Mook Sang says that if a student does take a gap year, to have something planned.
“Have some structure in your life,” says Mook Sang. “It could be travelling, but figure out what you are doing. Have goals and the criteria for how to achieve those goals.” About five percent of St-Laurent Academy students choose to take a gap year. “We help them with that choice and make sure they are prepared if they choose to make it.”
Volunteering in the community is also a good way to spend a gap year, as it offers an opportunity to discover new things. “Not only are they providing community support,” says Mook Sang, “but it’s also a good way to develop in different areas.”
When Michelle Dittmer, cofounder and president of CanGap, saw that high school students were losing their sense of exploring and trying new things, she knew she had to do something.
“I wasn’t the only high school teacher who noticed that students were just getting the grade and moving on,” says Dittmer. “I also realized that even though I enjoyed school, it was the things outside the classroom, like volunteering and exploring that made me into the person I am today.”
Dittmer moved to working in outdoor education and youth policy and came up with the idea of CanGap. “I wanted to provide an outlet that gave permission to take a year off and also provide support for a student to take that path.”
Dittmer says that in the U.K., Australia and many European countries, taking a gap year is like a rite of passage.
“You can’t go anywhere in Banff without meeting an Australian on their gap year,” chuckles Dittmer.
If students and parents need more convincing, Dittmer has noted that students who took a gap year often end up with a higher grade-point average and get a job right after graduating.
She says that statistics show 81 to 90 percent of students return to school after a gap year.
“A gap year gives a student the opportunity to explore who they are,” says Dittmer, “and to check out what they want to do. When they do return to class, they’re more mature and they’ve made a choice that is good for them and something they want to pursue.”
Dittmer says it’s essential for both the student and parents “to have a plan and a set of goals,” and to ask, “‘how do I want to be different at the end of the year?’ You might surprise yourself.”
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