I would have loved for a gap year before going to college. At 31 and an avid traveler I regret not going abroad sooner in life. However, I have a greater appreciation, awareness and the means now than I would have at 18, 19 or 20. That said I think in the next year or so I will take time off from work (maybe 6 months) and travel!

Posted By Michelle on December 13, 2010, 10:03 AM

It's a wonderful idea but the reality is that once someone is no longer a full-time student, they are probably not covered under their parents' health insurance any longer. Just the cost of paying for health insurance might make the proposition of a "gap" year prohibitive.

Posted By Steve from TravelingProfessor.com on December 13, 2010, 11:38 AM

Both of the above comments hit on important points -- that a gap year is hard to put together and appreciate at a young age, and that it can be really expensive.

But there are options out there that address both of those concerns pretty fully. I wanted to draw your attention to the group I work for, Global Citizen Year, which provides a structured year of global service, including training, for high school graduates before they go to college. The year is designed to cultivate a sense of global perspective and awareness in young Americans and better prepare them to meet college head on, and so far it seems to working on both counts.

As far as finances: it has historically been prohibitively expensive for most students to participate, but Global Citizen Year is trying to change that. We offer aid and scholarships to make sure that any student with the potential to thrive in this program has the chance to join, regardless of ability to pay.

Check out our website: globalcitizenyear.org and anyone who'd like more information can contact me at molly@globalcitizenyear.org.

Thanks! Glad the discussion is happening, and hope we get more students considering this kind of experience in the future.

Posted By Molly Sterns on December 13, 2010, 6:36 PM

I did it and enjoy every moment of it! I learned many things about myself, and met fantastic people. I don't regret at all! One year away changed my life!

Posted By AnSo on December 14, 2010, 11:08 AM

My advice? DO IT, DO IT, DO IT!! When else would one ever get that kind of opportunity?! Figure out a way and do it if at all possible. Travel, learn cultures, volunteer, eat odd foods, learn another language. If I'd only had that kind of opportunity...oh, to be 21 again!

Posted By WEG on December 14, 2010, 5:05 PM

Gap years or an extended backpacking trip is invaluable for appreciating other cultures and learning self-sufficiency. I am thankful that I didn't take a gap year before or after ungrad and instead took a half a year before entering grad school. I had enough money saved that I could splurge a bit more and never had to feel unsafe due to hostel location etc. Traveling as a single woman (26 y.o.) I always felt safe but had learned traveling etiquette during and after college on shorter trips. I loved my "half-gap" so much that I took a month after grad school to visit Cambodia and Thailand. I agree with WEG’s comment above. DO IT!

Posted By KDY on December 16, 2010, 10:50 AM

Yes, of course they should do it. I had heard about it in my teens but wasn't familiar with how to execute it. I took a trip to Paris after I graduated High School and ever since have made regular trips to different countries. It really does open your eyes and helps you have an appreciation for different cultures. I think its a great idea that helps counter the Xenophobic tendencies of the American media.

Posted By blackbrad on December 16, 2010, 11:29 AM

Yes, yes, yes! I am a college professor and I constantly tell my students that if they (or their parents) can afford the overpriced educations that they're paying for today, then they can afford to travel for 6-12 months... and they gain more personal growth out of international travel than they will through academic education.... which would likely be to the dismay of their parents, yet it's true!

As a college professor I know without a doubt that an academic education is part of the path to not just a decent career, but also a path towards maturity. Yet seeing the world, and experiencing other ways of existence is invaluable to the maturation process. Personally, I recommend it mid-way through the college years, or after. If they go as a teen, they tend to focus too much on drinking and not enough on cultural experiences. But whenever they do this, and more should, a few months or longer in the rest of the world will be a catalyst for personal, emotional, intellectual and even academic growth. They will become better Americans & better human beings because of it. Do it!

Posted By Gabriel on December 16, 2010, 12:45 PM

I loved taking a year off. Never a great student, by the time I graduated high school, I wanted a year away from books. I also liked the idea of making money for a year so that once I got to college I'd have a little something in the bank; this became very useful once I decided to get an apartment with some friends. And I think I came back refreshed and energized for school better than if I had gone immediately. I think if someone knows their major and career path, maybe not such a great idea. But undeclared and unsure of my path, it worked for me.

David K.

Posted By David Krakow on December 16, 2010, 1:50 PM

Funny thing - I took a poll at a holiday party the other night about the gap year because my 16-year old wants to apply to the World Class Kayak Academy. (He is now a sophomore at an exclusive private school). The WCKA travels the world and combines daily kayaking excursions with academic lesson plans (thus the continuation of the health care benefits). The WCKA combines service projects with its travels, too. - a hybrid gap experience.

When I was 18, I graduated from high school early and took a half year off to travel the US, an experience most parents would cringe at, but my mother supported it. What a tremendous way to add street smart to book smart. Especially today when young adults need to unplug from the virtual world and get in touch the real world.

So the poll was 3 for and 0 against.

All we need now is a sponsor for my aspiring gapper. Any takers at Budget Travel?

Posted By Tom Ives on December 16, 2010, 2:53 PM

i didn't take a gap year but took 3 semesters off during my sophomore & junior year of college. It was a great learning experience for me. I learned to love everything non-American & still appreciate the U.S. I've taken time off with my husband while in the midst of climbing the corporate ladder - & learned even more amazing things about life. After having kids, we pulled them out of school @ 8 & 11, bacpacked & home schooled them. We took home so many life lessons as a family. We met so many young adults who participated in volunteerism in every country they visited. The young women traveling alone changed my 2 girls. They can now do things without having a friend as a security blanket. For 17/18 year olds, the experience will last forever & will give college bound kids a more global perspective.

Posted By Carry-on Travel on December 16, 2010, 3:06 PM

To quote WEG, "DO IT, DO IT, DO IT!!" I studied a semester in France in college and knew I had to go back after graduation. I knew that I could find a job of some sort later on but that then was the best time to take off and go teach for a year in France. It was the best decision of my life and led me to so many new and amazing opportunities in life that I never would have had if I had stayed home and started a "real" job right away. The teaching didn't pay a ton but it covered my monthly rent in a studio apartment, food and a bit leftover to travel around France and other parts of Western Europe during the many school breaks. Many countries have Teach English programs, which is such a great way to go to another part of the world. For the program I went on, you only needed to speak English fluently and have some knowledge of French. No teaching degree was necessary (I had a degree in Finance!) and I learned so much about myself and what I could accomplish by standing in front of classrooms of 10 year olds that I never could have gotten otherwise. Just awesome!

Posted By Amanda B on December 16, 2010, 4:22 PM

Harvard's president sent a letter a few years back to incoming freshmen encouraging them to take a year off.
Health reform means that children up to age 26 can stay on their parents' health insurance, which will hopefully help with that problem.
If at all possible, do it! You will find it much harder later in life.

Posted By Laura on December 16, 2010, 4:45 PM

Yes, a gap year, either before or during college is really essential to erase the US blinders on too many young people. As a college professor, I always advise students to go--and not just for a summer, but for at least 6 months. My daughter went to work at a school for handicapped kids in Germany for a gap year before college. Most colleges will save the admission for a year. Davidson College was great about it and when she began a year later, assigned her to a roommate who had also done a gap year. These two were much more mature and were able to bond over their understanding of their crazy giggly classmates.

Posted By Maggie McFadden on December 16, 2010, 6:40 PM

I took my Gap Year at age 55 after retiring from a 35 year office career. I spent half the year in South America and the other half in Europe. I payed for everything myself. I had traveled frequently internationally throughout my life but never for more than a few weeks or a month at a time, so traveling for a long period living in foreign apartments was a new and wonderful experience.

I am now embarking on a second career as a flight attendant. Training starts next month.

Posted By Donna on December 16, 2010, 10:09 PM

I believe traveling the world, especially if it can in an educational or volunteer capacity is one of the greatest gifts anyone can receive at any age. Mark Twain said "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness." St. Augustine said "The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.

I feel that if the following criteria are met then YES students should take a gap year to travel.
1.) The finances are available, including the health insurance coverage,
2.) A student has other people to travel with (Too dangerous to travel alone in this day and age)
3.) It will NOT in any way jeopordize their actually going to or getting admitted to school
4.) It will not jeopordize any financial aid they have coming for their education.

Wish I would have had the opportunity when I was young. Now I am doing my best to see the world one trip at a time with old bones that can't do what they once good. DO IT WHILE YOU CAN!!!!!!!!!!

Posted By kcalmole on December 17, 2010, 10:31 PM

I think that taking some time after finishing college is a great idea. After just finishing at NC State University I am leaving for a three-month trip in South America and I can't wait! However, I don't think taking a gap year between high school and college is a great idea.

I think it would have been hard to return to the routine of school if I had taken a year off between high school and college. Also, working part-time during college allowed me to save up for this trip - in high school I was so busy I wasn't able to save as much money.

Also, I think that traveling abroad as a 22-23 year-old is much better than doing it at a 18-19 year-old. American teenagers get excited about legally drinking abroad and tend to have most of their "cultural experiences" in bars (at least this was my experience when studying abroad earlier in college). I think that when you are a little bit older you would be able to have a much fuller experience.

Posted By Leah on December 18, 2010, 3:40 PM

For students "of a certain age" - not over 18.5 at the time they land in their host country - Rotary Youth Exchange offers a fabulous and affordable way for a student to have a gap year in another country. Students are required to pay for their round-trip airfare, and required health insurance, which runs about $600 (scholarships are often available to offset these costs - contact your local Rotary Club). Otherwise, all they are responsible for is their spending money, and most local Rotary clubs provide a small stipend. Host families are volunteers, and students are required to attend high school, as they are there on a student visa. However, if the student has already completed high school, performance becomes less of an issue and the student can focus on a new culture. I've hosted five Rotary Exchange students, and am always amazed that so many more students are anxious to come to the states than vice-versa! Go to www.rotary.org for more information.

Posted By Cindy on December 20, 2010, 3:07 PM