A gap year is taken by students as a break to work, travel, or simply rest their brain between secondary school and college. Though, students should make sure that their gap year doesn’t turn into gap years.
Whether it’s taking a break to work or to experience and travel, the biggest disadvantage to taking time off can lead to a waste of time. It can be an unproductive experience for students to take a gap year, causing them to forget most of what they learned, lose focus, and fall out of the academic routine.
Students that tend to waste time also lose momentum and hesitate to return to school when given the opportunity.
If students decide to waste time, they can be at risk when they return to school. With that being said, if their activities spent during a gap year don’t contribute to their education, their chances of being accepted into a university will be decreased.
According to the Nation Center for Educational Statistics, students who delay attending college and decide to take a gap year are at risk of veering off track.
“For whatever reasons students wait to enroll in college, those who do delay are at considerable risk of not completing a postsecondary credential when compared with their peers who enroll immediately after high school graduation.”
Taking a gap year can result in financial struggles, as many students tend to spend more money instead of saving. Traveling is an exciting opportunity, but can be very expensive.
A big factor that students worry about when taking a year off is financial aid. Although students are still eligible and may qualify for FAFSA, they will have to re-apply and are required to do more work.
Some scholarships that universities offer are against the idea of taking a gap year and will not allow it. Therefore, it can be a huge disadvantage for students by putting their chances of getting financial aid and grants at risk.
Some students prioritize their time, energy, and money into their careers rather than getting an education in school. They fail to acknowledge the limitations that they are placing on themselves by giving up academics, in the form of entering college directly after high school.
Many students who take a gap year, get caught up with work and their social life, as well as start to develop financial difficulties.
Therefore, taking a gap year should be discouraged, as students end up getting distracted, focusing on responsibilities that can further become a challenge or a burden.
