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A gap year is a term that refers to students who take a year, or more off of school after high school, essentially putting off college for later. According to US News And World Report, 40,000 to 60,000 students in the US take a gap year each academic year. This year off can be a good time to reflect on one’s choices and prepare for life, or simply take a break. However, many people are adamantly against the idea of gap years.
Teachers who have taught for a long time have seen many students come and go throughout the years, and have witnessed the effects of gap years firsthand on multiple occasions. Many are against the idea.
“It is a terrible idea; it’s hard to get back into school,” science teacher Connie Bang said.
Math teacher Paul Martin, going on forty-one years of teaching, shared a similar negative view of gap years.
“Don’t recommend it (gap year). Sometimes it can work, but I know kids who get what they think is a good job during a gap year and don’t go back. But later on, they realize there are no benefits, and they have been out so long they can’t get back into school.”
This, of course, traps the student and prevents them from being able to move forward in any career. This feedback loop is quite damaging and has been said many times in the case agaisnt gap years.
Math teacher Dallas Burright, a younger teacher going on his second year of teaching, is wary of gap years as well. But is slightly more optimistic about their usefulness.
“It’s fine if you are using it for your own benefit. Like traveling, or taking an internship. But not for playing video games,” Dallas Burright said.
He shared that he believes a gap year can be a valuable time to find out more about what you want to pursue, making it beneficial for college and beyond. However, he did share the same sentiment as the other teachers that one should be careful to get back into school afterwards regardless.
Even current seniors at EHS aren’t keen on taking gap years.
“I personally wouldn’t do it,” senior Jules Joens said. “I could see using a gap year for work to finance college, or for travel. But especially in the case of travel; I think it would be better to do it during the summer, even if it means less travel time. It’s really up to each person.”
