Benefits of a Christian Gap Year for Students:
The benefits of a gap year are always linked to why students decide to take a gap year, which we covered in the last question. To recap, students take a gap year for one or more of the following reasons: they need time and space to recharge before the academic pressure of college; to travel and explore new ways of thinking and living; to build up their Christian faith; to more fully consider their higher education options (major, institution, timeframe).
So, after recapping why high school students decide to take a gap year, here are some of the benefits:
- Taking time to self-assess and reflect on who you are and where you're headed
- Learning how to navigate life away from home before adding the stress and pressure of academics
- Exploring areas of study beyond what your high school offered
- Building soft skills like problem-solving, conflict resolution, teamwork, and
Benefits of a Christian Gap Year for Parents:
You'll see a more confident, mature, and focused individual who will walk into college with a purpose. They will have navigated life away from home and have found their footing before you make a significant investment in college.
According to the National Center for Education Studies, from 2011 to 2017, only 60% of students who began pursuing a bachelor's degree at a 4-year institution completed that degree (at the original institution) within 6 years. The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center shares a slightly smaller stat: 58% of students will complete a degree within 6 years.
Either way, 4 out of every 10 students who begin college will not complete their degree within 6 years.
That's where a gap year comes into play. Since students have taken time to figure out who they are and where they're going, they can approach college with more confidence, motivation, and purpose. Instead of transferring schools or switching majors three times before sophomore year, they have a good idea of what major will actually help prepare them for their future. Rather than struggling to balance their studies, social life, and sleep, they will have the self-awareness to set priorities, realize their limits, and allocate time accordingly.
From one of our Vanguards, Sarah Lambert:
During freshman year of college I just saw so many people spending 95% of their energy learning how to live away from home. Since I had already done that, I could focus on school.
When wisely chosen, a gap year will help your student build the self-awareness, skills, and mindset to approach college prepared (and excited!) to make a return on the investment.