By Dave Johnson
The end of semester pressure is intense for most students at this time of year. With finials approaching and the looming thought of real life and the reality that life-changing choices will need to be made in the near future, many students feel like they might explode.
However, there is an alternative to the real life choice. It will buy students time to think and promote growth within your self – it is called the gap year.
The gap year is a common choice in most of Europe and is considered a right of passage by many parents. There is a taboo surrounding students taking a gap year in Canada though. Most parents fear once their child experiences the real world they will not want to return to school.
However, the opposite is true. Not only do 90 per cent of students who take a structured gap year return to school the next year, they also do better than the students who do not take a gap year in both GPA and school social life.
Guidance councillor at Bow Valley High School Jan Higgins says “I have yet to hear anyone of my former students say the regret taking a gap year, but I do hear a lot of my students say they wish they would have taken one and regret going to school when they were not ready.”
The big misconception about taking a year off is you will need a lot of money to travel and school is already a big enough investment. The great thing about being a young Canadian is the availability of the holiday work visas to various countries. This means you can make money while traveling; decreasing the cost drastically and in some situations gappers can actually save money while abroad.
Seeing travelers come and grow is something the president & founder of Free & Easy Traveler Curtis Smith has seen countless times. “My thoughts have always been that as a growing person at the post secondary age, travel can help you find yourself. When you’re making decisions about your education and career it’s important to have that grasp of knowing yourself before you make decisions that will impact the rest of your life. So investing in yourself by traveling, is some of the best education and investment you can receive.”
Does taking a gap year hurt your chances at getting into a post secondary school or a career? “It actually helps your chances,” say’s Higgins. Many universities, such as Harvard and York University, actually encourage taking a gap year. They say the gap year allows students a year to mature and figure out what they want in life without the pressure of school.
“I personally took a gap year, I was not sure what I wanted to take and the year off really helped me make the right choice,” said Andrew Nicholson a practicum student counsellor with a MSc in counselling psychology. “The work and travel experience you get during a gap year can really spruce up your resume, it allows you to standout when applying for future jobs.”
Many schools have career fairs where they can find out potential post secondary schools and possible careers but there is little to no information about a structured gap year plan. University of Lethbridge student Carolyn Temple says she wishes there had been more information about a structured gap year presented and available to them in their senior year of high school and at university.
Students who are unsure about their futures should not worry, but take the opportunity to think what a year of travel would bring into their lives.