Gap years ultimately leave students feeling behind

After graduating from high school, many students are looking forward to a new season of life. While some may dread the thought of stepping foot into another classroom after graduation, attending college right after high school rather than waiting a year or two is the best option. A so-called ‘gap year’ is something many people use as an excuse to get a break from the classroom life before going to college, however, taking a gap year does not come with all good intentions.

When a student decides to take a gap year after 13 years of K-12 schooling it often becomes more than just one year. For many students, they plan to keep their gap year to just one year. However, most of the time they become distracted and sidetracked and end up dragging their feet about returning to school. This is due to students losing their academic momentum, according to The Scholarship Hub. Many people’s thought process on gap years is that it will leave them feeling refreshed and motivated, however, in reality, it can give students a feeling of being behind and make it difficult to transition back into the role of a student.

Often times, people decide to spend a year traveling before college. This can ultimately end up being very expensive. Depending on where someone plans to travel and the length of the trips taken can amount to a large sum of money that could end up costing them money they would use for college tuition.

A gap year can also affect many college plans in terms of scholarships, financial aid and even college choices. According to community for accredited schools online, waiting to go to college for a year can alter the amounts of money you could be given, even with financial aid. Additionally, taking a gap year may affect a students acceptance into a college when they do decide to attend.

Ultimately, taking a gap year is a large risk. Students can easily lose momentum to go back to school and it can be very hard on the wallet. While many use this as a way to travel or just take a break, it sets the student up to be behind in their academics if they forget a lot of information over the course of their year off.