Reconsidering the Gap Year
From privilege to practicality
I used to believe that gap years were a luxury only the wealthy could afford. Many students who take gap years not only participate in costly activities like international travel but also face the significant opportunity cost of delaying income for an entire year. My perspective was that high school graduates should grow up and start progressing toward adulthood rather than spending an additional year living off their parents trying to "find themselves."
However, my opinion has shifted somewhat in recent years.
First of all, the idea of sending kids directly from high school to college now seems rather absurd to me. We expect 18-year-olds, whose executive functioning is still developing, to live independently for the first time in communal housing, with plenty of idle time and minimal supervision. If this doesn’t sound ridiculous enough, we spend tens of thousands of dollars for this pleasure, often resulting in substantial debt.
Second, many graduates emerge from college flush with progressive ideas but lacking in real-world experience. They haven’t learned realistic strategies to apply their classroom knowledge to improve their own lives and the lives of others. Simply put, many have never learned how to work.
Given these considerations, I have begun to rethink the value of gap years and now generally support them. However, I still don’t believe that students should spend the year traveling on their parents’ dime. Instead, they should perhaps get jobs to learn what financial independence truly means. Alternatively, the United States could implement a mandatory paid year of service, similar to compulsory military service in other countries. A mandatory service year could foster civically minded, responsible citizens while addressing real, practical needs in our country.
Ultimately, I believe that the post-high school years are increasingly contributing to inequality rather than shaping productive and responsible adults. It’s time to consider more effective ways to invest our resources.
***
Previous generations had significantly more responsibility at a much younger age. Also consider the military as an example of what a teenager can do. A 17yr old is quickly given a leadership role over their peers, many times in combat, responsible for millions of dollars worth of equipment. From my experience in the Navy, these kids were getting poor to average grades in high school and probably would’ve worked at Walmart.
I’ll never understand why discussions of college always includes the housing package. Plenty of us got roommates in an apartment and went to community college or a technical school.