In researching international education topics, I ran across “Time Out: The Gap Year Abroad.” Although the desire of college bound students to take a year off between high school graduation and their first year of college is not new, recently the phenomena has been gaining support by higher education professionals. Traditionally, the practice has been discouraged in the United States by parents and educators because they feared it would make students less likely to pursue a college education. In England and Australia, it is common practice for prospective college students to take the year after high school to visit popular vacation destinations before embarking on their college endeavors. In the United States, the gap year is viewed instead as a time of personal exploration and growth if the time is spent in a foreign country in a meaningful manner.
The author outlined the numerous benefits for spending a year abroad before entering college. Parents benefit financially because the student is more likely to be committed to their degree goals and less likely to change degrees and universities which can prolong the student’s time in school. Institutions of higher learning who offer a gap year experience program find that it enriches their international and service learning initiatives. The advantages for the student are manifested in a variety of ways and may include; an increased maturity level, an enhanced global awareness, an inspired sense of social justice, multicultural sensitivity, and interest in education abroad. In addition, the experience can aid the college student in accomplishing their scholarly goals due to the development of higher order critical thinking skills, and a stronger sense of purpose and self.
The aforementioned beneficial aspects of experiencing a country other than the student’s native country are acknowledged by higher education professionals. Several classmates have shared their experiences with study abroad programs and described it as a transformational experience. Although I am familiar with the aspects associated with study abroad programs during the student’s college career rather than prior to their college attendance, the benefits of participation prior to embarking on a higher education path were clearly defined in the article. A soon to be published survey completed by gap students found that of “290 students…90 percent had returned to school within one year…80 percent within six months…” and the remaining 10 percent had legitimate explanations for not returning within one year. The article made a strong argument for a paradigm shift among Student Affair professionals to encourage application to the student’s intended university or college, and then defer enrollment for a year to take advantage of a gap experience. The result is a more balanced and focused freshman student with a comprehensive world view compared to a freshman student straight from high school with very little life experience.
The author mentioned several successful higher education gap year programs, but failed to stress how crucial it is to have a strong administration advocate in order for a program to be sustainable. Given the possible complexities of such a program, an informed and passionate key stake holder such as the Dean of Student Affairs may make the difference between a sustained successful program and an intermittent experiment. The article described a variety of models that enable a student to have an enriching and positive experience during the gap year. The committed involvement of an engaged sponsor with a vested interest could ensure the development and promotion of a program best suited for their particular institution.
In addition, the article did not address the accessibility and feasibility of an average student partaking in a university or college sponsored gap program. Such a program can cost from $15,000 to $25, 000, making it an option reserved for the wealthy. Although the article briefly mentioned financial resources available at a few institutions of higher learning, I was left with the impression assistance was available on a needs based system which would be fiscally restrictive for the middle income student as well as limit the number of students served. Given the transformative impact that a gap experience could provide for a student, I would be disappointed if the opportunity was only available to students at the extreme ends of the socioeconomic spectrum. I fear the middle income students would not qualify for assistance but would also lack the financial resources to fund the experience.
True the gap year does have a price tag. Perhaps this is why perhaps many American students wait until they are in college to participate in an exchange abroad during their junior year. Going this route usually allows the college student to pay the same tuition rates to their home institution while they are abroad. This proves to be quite economical. Another possibility for college students besides the gap year is the J-term (January term). Some institutions have a break in terms and students utilize the month of January to explore another country or take a course abroad. Here is one institution in Oregon for example:
ReplyDeleteLinfield College
In the four-week January term, students and faculty undertake intensive study either on campus or at off-campus sites in the U.S. and abroad. January term is designed to foster global awareness, develop insights into major issues of our time, and deepen understanding of American society. It offers participants unique opportunities for innovative learning experiences beyond the standard curriculum.
This seems to be appealing for students who do not want to make a 3 month (term) or yearlong commitment, but still want to get a taste of what is like to study abroad. Beyond this there is also the Semester at Sea program, which is exactly as it sounds-a semester on the sea learning and traveling. Check it out: http://www.semesteratsea.org/ Some gap year experiences work with travel agencies like Contiki which target a young crowd 18-35 year olds to add a party-ish focus to studying and learning-this is less about academics.
For four summers I had the privilege of working at a summer camp that hired staff from around the world. Counselors came from, the UK, Spain, Hungary, Isreal, India, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and Columbia. Many of these counselors were able to come over to the United States because they were on their gap year.
ReplyDeleteThese students were lucky enough to be connected with organizations like Camp America, CCUSA and Camp Leaders which connects international students with summer camps in the United States. The benefit to those students on gap year meant that they were connected with a job which would allow them to experience American culture, but also they would earn money while traveling abroad. The last little perk of the this program was that they had the option of having organized travel around the US after the summer had ended, at a relatively low cost to them.
Seeing the benefits my friends had of being able to travel as well as take a year off to discover more about themselves and what they wanted to be before they invested time and money into an expensive college education; I believe that gap years should be a part of the American culture.
Thanks for a great post, Janet! I participated in a gap-year program myself, but I happened to do it after graduating with my bachelors.
ReplyDeleteI was a bit aimless throughout my college years. I thought business was the way to go...who didn't want a business degree and make lots of money? Soon enough, I found the classes to be a bit cold and impersonal, so I started searching for something else. By that point, I was a junior, so I didn't have many options. So I looked into secondary business education, and liked the human aspect of it. However, after my student teaching experience, I vowed to NEVER teach!
So what was I going to do now? I had always dreamed of traveling, and enjoyed community service and the performing arts, so I applied for and was accepted to Up With People, an international performing arts, community service, and international education program. I was lucky enough to travel for two years with this program throughout North America and Europe, and it was indeed life-changing.
As you stated in your post: "The advantages for the student are manifested in a variety of ways and may include; an increased maturity level, an enhanced global awareness, an inspired sense of social justice, multicultural sensitivity, and interest in education abroad." My experiences in this program have guided my life since then. I am hugely interested in multicultural sensitivity and social justice issues, as evidenced by my position in LGBT student services. I hope to focus on study abroad programs as a future career option, so it definitely influenced my life.