Reflection 1: Mind the Gap—Gap Years Explained

While American high school seniors are fretting over admission into their colleges of choice, many international students are preparing to take a 12-month break from school called a "gap year." This practice, originating in Britain, involves young people deferring college for a year to travel or live abroad. So, while most American are experiencing their freshman year of college, students from these countries might be volunteering with an NGO (non-governmental organization) in Africa, working at a resort in Southeast Asia, or touring the United States by train. Proponents of gap years say these students return to college and work more mature, having gained a year's worth of real-world experience. Assuming you did not have a gap year (if you didn't, you're not alone—only 8% of Americans typically delay college by one year, and only third of those use that time to travel), how might a year of travel/living abroad before college have affected you? Are Americans missing out on opportunities by going straight into college from high school? Should Americans adopt, even mandate, gap years ? Finally, what opportunities for a gap year did Covid-19 present?

Cite two of the following in your reflection:

• "Should You Take a Gap Year?" (Forbes)
• "Why Aren’t Gap Years Normalized American in Society?" (Medium)
• "Ten Reasons Why Taking a Gap Year Before College Might be the Best Choice You Ever Make" (Bustle)
• "Is a Gap Year Good for Your Child’s Mental Health and GPA?" (Psychology Today)
• "Covid Gap Year: How Five Students Spent Their Time During the Pandemic" (Teen Vogue)

Required:

• MLA Style, plus works cited page
• 2 pages
  

Submission Window: Thu 2.10 - Tue 2.15 (via Canvas)