By Tori Phelps
The Source
Stoney Creek HS
1st Place
Division 1, News Writing
Editorial
Since eighth grade, the school counselors have prodded us to decide our future college and career plans.
This isn’t their fault; they have our best interests at heart. But with school and society pressing college on people at such a young age, fewer students see the possibility of a future without immediate college education. The negative stereotype of the unemployed, unmotivated child who still lives with her parents is too often attached to those who decide to try other things before attending college. Despite these societal pressures, students should seriously consider taking a gap year in which they could travel, join a military branch, work, or intern before they start college.
The most obvious reason is the expense: college will burn a sizable hole in your wallet. According to American Student Assistance, in 2011, around 57 percent of public four-year college students graduated with debt.
Waiting on college also gives students time to mature and find the paths they feel passionate about. Though the online resources encouraged by the school are helpful, they’re just the first step in the process of deciding students’ futures—actual experience in various fields is more important in narrowing the list of potential careers.
If students don’t spend time getting experience, but attend college without an inkling of what career paths they want to follow, they’ve wasted a lot of money on a degree they don’t even want. Or maybe students know what they want to do, but after earning a degree and starting at a job, they realize the career doesn’t suit them at all. These situations are common: according to a study by Rutgers, only 44 percent of college graduates had a first job that was closely related to their education.
A year spent in different cultures, in a military setting, or in the workplace doesn’t just help students find where they belong; it adds more real-world experience to their résumés. True, some jobs value higher education over experience, but that is not true for all jobs. Students should research whether employees in their possible careers prefer experience or education.
Also, the negative stereotype associated with those who take a gap year will fade away if more motivated students come to the realization that immediate education isn’t always the right answer. Simple solutions like a written plan will also help such students stay on track to fight the stereotype.
Despite the pressures of society, students should take seriously the value a gap year could have for their futures, as it could save them money and earn them a job they actually enjoy.