Should I take a gap year before going to college?

Question

I am seriously considering taking a gap year before going to travel in Southeast Asia and South America. I really would love to spend time in China and see the Beijing Olympics as well as introduce myself to the language, since I want to study Chinese and Spanish extensively in college. I also want to volunteer in countries such as Thailand, Laos, and Bali, as well as complete a homestay in Argentina to improve my Spanish and then backpack through South America.

I've already been accepted to college and they said that I can always enroll next year, but I'm afraid that I'll lose focus and drive. However at the same time, I feel like traveling can introduce me to an entirely new perspective and inspire me even more to work harder, especially since I plan on majoring in International Relations.

Is it a good idea to go before college and risk losing motivation? And would my travels really help me increase my Spanish and Chinese language skills?

Answer 1

I think you should go to college immediately, but use the college experience to study abroad. If you think you may lose drive, you probably will and you will be travelling this country gaining experience and language skills but no real documentation of what you learned that will help you in your career. Employers wont consider it favorable that you took a year long vacation, instead you will just be a year behind starting your career. If you study abroad you get all the same experience while earning a degree, plus you will be learning from other students, taking language classes, and have options for room and board, volunteer work etc. I studied abroad and it was an incredible experience, i am now looking to go to graduate school in Europe since I got my undergrad degree out of the way and can really focus on international business skills.

Answer 2

You can always travel, but an education is essential to making it in this world. With an education, you can have a lifetime of travel, but without an education you will not be able to make the money to travel for long. In fact, the only trip you will be taking without an education is a big trip into poverty.

Answer 3

I have many classmates and peers who took gap years off and found that it was a very rewarding experience, but it differs from person to person. You need to ask yourself if going to college is something you really, really want now; if so, then if you take a gap year, just make sure to remain focused and keep yourself from straying away from college-- unless you truly feel like your experiences have changed your opinion on what it is you want to do and whether or not a college education would help you reach that goal. Otherwise, if you return to college, you will gradually readjust to your previous drive. For International Relations, I do know that a college degree is absolutely vital in doing anything more than volunteer or missionary work.

The best way to improve a language is to immerse yourself completely in a place that speaks it, but you would really need to make sure to keep yourself from falling back on English. It would definitely increase your skills! The biggest risk, though, is losing those skills when you got back to the US because of disuse or lack of practice. So be careful.

Just a word of advice on the Beijing Olympics: tickets, volunteer opportunities, and hotels are going very, very very very quickly so better get on that early if you'd like to be in Beijing in August! Best wishes!

Answer 4

If you want to improve your spanish and chinese language skills, you don't need to take gap for it.

You can use different learning websites which provides guidance for learning chinese language. It is cheap and easy method to study. Also you can access any website any time for learning.

I know a website named http://chinesesphere.com The thing I liked about it is it's features are awesome.

Teachers are using open source teleconferencing technology to conduct 1-on-1 and group classes via video, voice, flash technology for displaying Chinese characters and shared whiteboard where the teacher & student can observe each other's Chinese writing capabilities. You can learn chinese online without any hassles.

The site also offer video clips of Chinese culture events.

Give it a try.

Thanks.

Answer 5

If you wanna travel before college go for it!  It will look good on your college application and you will have a better idea about what you want to study.

You can go to college anytime you want....but you may find it harder to travel once you have commitments.  Plus think about how much easier it will be to study Chinese and Spanish if you have already been to the countries!  I travelled before I went to uni- if anything it increased my focus and drive because I it made me more mature and independent.

I vote for the gap year!

Answer 6

I have a great friend who took a gap year to intern in London. Not only does she have an amazing experience already in such a young life, but think of how graduate schools and employees will see it. They'll see her as being more driven and focused than her classmates because she was able to take a gap year, still go to college, and have such experience.

Also, taking a gap year will help you appreciate your college experience. That and it will open you up to so many new things to do. I feel like you will both try to become more involved in the campus and will go looking for those crazy adventures to take with classmates/organizations.

All in all, I feel like a gap year is one of the best things a person can do for themselves. I kick myself in the back everytime I think of the great oppurtunity I opted out of to go to college immediately after high school. I have now found the err in my ways and am taking a gap year off before graduate school to teach english and travel.

Go for it--it's such a unique experience. Don't follow the norm!!

I hope you have an amazing time!