Are you thinking about taking a gap year after college or high school? A gap year, also known as a bridge year, can be a great way to transition from high school to college and uncover your passions and purpose in life. Consider the many benefits of a bridge year and how it can expand your worldview and prepare you before you head off to college.
THE BENEFITS OF TAKING A GAP YEAR AFTER COLLEGE OR HIGH SCHOOL
The Benefits of Taking a Gap Year After College or High School
Research shows that students who take a gap year actually perform better than their peers once they get to campus. This really shouldn’t be a surprise given the many things students learn during a bridge year, including:
A new culture
Live, work, eat and play with the local residents. Truly immerse yourself to make the most of your experience.
A local trade or industry
Work with the community in the education, environmental conservation, agriculture, social enterprise or public health sectors. By partnering with locals, you’re learning from them while also doing work that matters to the community.
A new language
You’ll be living, working and socializing with local speakers, so it’s only natural that you’ll pick up some new language skills. Whether or not you come into the program with language skills, you’ll leave knowing another language which will only benefit you in the long run and bring you up to speed with the rest of the world.
A new network of friends
You’ll make memories and friendships to last a lifetime, and join a network of people with similar goals and aspirations. You might not know the other applicants before you start, but in this experience, you’ll quickly learn about one another and the many commonalities you share that will be the basis for a long-lasting friendship.
Global citizenship, entrepreneurialism, leadership
You’ll acquire skills that will prepare you for college and give you a competitive advantage beyond graduation. These are skills you can’t learn at a desk, but you’ll inevitably learn with real-world experience.
Perhaps the biggest thing you’ll learn during a gap year after high school is who you are. A bridge year is a year of self-discovery, finding your true grit and uncovering hidden passions. You’ll mature beyond your years and set foot on campus more academically engaged than ever.
A gap year abroad doesn’t just fill the time between high school and college. At Global Citizen Year, a gap year allows you to smoothly transition between two very different phases while preparing you for life beyond.
Read our current Fellows’ blogs and learn more about how you can spend your gap year after high school!
Sources:
U.S. News & World Report: http://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/2014/09/23/how-a-gap-year-can-make-students-successful
Colgate University: http://www.colgate.edu/centers-and-institutes/center-for-language-and-brain
HEAR FROM GAP YEAR STUDENTS AND PARENTS
Fellow / Senegal
Ndanke, Ndanke
— Elise Leise
In a world filled with complex global challenges, I hope to be part of a generation that refuses to give up so easily.…
Fellow / Senegal
New Continent, New Family
— Erik Oline
I turned around to the open arms of my host family (yes, all 23 of them)! The family farm is a little slice of heaven……
Parent / Brazil
Maturity & Perspective
— Shih-Hung Shieh
The Fellows mature into intelligent, compassionate, cosmopolitan citizens of the world, able to converse about global issues……
Fellow / Ecuador
Why I Came to Ecuador
— Henry Yeary
I wanted the world to slap me silly, sweep me up like a tornado and crash me down. I needed to live.…
Fellow / India
This is How I Will Save the World
— Indi Nunez
The world does not need us to save it; it needs us to understand it. Perhaps to help is not to give after all, but rather to empower……
Parent / Senegal
Real World Skills
— Pam Ricker (Jordan Ricker)
I am so glad my son has had this experience. It has given him more than the acquisition of two new languages……