The Option of a Gap Year

The push for being college ready started my freshman year. Everything at my high school seemed to promote college as the only choice us students had. The stakes were high and so was the stress. SATs, ACTs, scholarships, good grades, volunteer hours, and extra curricular actives were all motived by the push for college. During my sophomore year, my duty was to choose between taking International Baccalaureate (IB) classes or taking post secondary education classes (PSEO) for our junior and senior years.  They described IB classes as rigorous college preparatory classes, which you could receive some college credit for if taking the final test and passing.  On the other hand, PSEO classes were actual college classes where students would take the classes on a college campus. To receive college credit, you just had to pass the class with a B or A. Credit for credit. I went with option two, PSEO. I thought, why bother taking college prep classes when I can take actually college classes, receive college credits, and gain college experience all for free.

Junior year; exploring the world of PSEO.   I turned myself into my own guinea pig, by stepping foot onto the University of Minnesota’s campus as a 16 year old. I took my morning classes at the University and my afternoon classes at Washburn. In the evenings, I had sports. I learned a lot in that first semester. I learned I hated Poli Sci and I never want to memorize another Supreme Court decision ever again. I learned that I did not want to attend a college with a population more than 5,000, where I feel like just a number.  I discovered my love of sociology. But the most importantly I learned that college itself is freeing. There is more time, independence and a lot of maturing that goes on during those years. I noticed a mix of kids though,  some knew exactly what they were there for while others were only attending because their parents made them. The kids who were there by their own choosing were wise with their time and highly self motivated because it’s what they wanted for themselves. The kids there because they felt obligated, slacked in their classes, were all over the board with their majors, and spent their free time out at parties. When one of my friends, Emily, came back from partipating with Youth with a Mission (YWAM) during the end of my junior year, I started to sense that going directly to college wasn’t what I wanted.  

Senior year, I transitioned to full time PSEO, meaning no classes at Washburn. I also made the switch from the U of MN to North Central University. I decided that if I was to do full time PSEO, I wanted a place with a smaller student body. My senior year was the best I could ask for. Entering my senior year, I prayed for a best friend. Two of my closest girlfriends graduated before me the previous year. I wanted a girlfriend who would challenge me spiritually, physically, and would be a friend to confide in. I was confused and slightly upset when I started planning events and the only people who were free to hang out from North Central where a group of guys. One persistently would always come to everything even when plans fell through. He was looking for a tour guide of the cities and like I said, I was looking for a best friend. Three months later the tour guide and the best friend became boyfriend and girlfriend but that is a whole different story. (Josh)  My circle of close friends has grown intentionally deeper and I am closer with my family as a result of this year. I still have felt connected to my high school by being captain of cross country and cross country skiing and being the first person in the past 6 years making it to state in skiing.

Choosing a gap year was harder than I planned it to be. However, whenever I looked into a college it just made me feel uneasy.  At times, during my senior year I began to question if YWAM was really the direction God wanted for me. The choice not to go directly to college would be to go against what our culture has set as the norm.  I was really torn. Yet, the more I prayed about it the more God gave me peace. Although it would be deviant to my culture's behavior to take a gap year, and I knew I would have to leave my family and friends as well as delay a year of college. I knew it was what I should do.

As my gap year began to unfold, it would have three main purposes; to work, serve, and mature. God provided me with the job that was on the top of my list for places to work - French MeadowBakery. I made the decision to work there until December to earn money for YWAM and for college. He also has surrounded me with a community of people to possibly live with in the fall to serve under YWAM Minnesota in uptown. YWAM starts in January where I will be living in San Juan, Costa Rica for the next 5 months. Part of the time is spent growing in my faith and understanding of the gospel and the other part is spent serving in the community. My biggest prayer for this year is that God will break my heart for what breaks his heart.  In doing this I pray that my security in him will strengthen and that I will learn to trust him in each step in my life. A verse I have found key for this year is James 4:13-15-“Come now you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit’- yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.’

Last Friday, I officially graduated from high school, along with completing a little over a year in college.

When talking to some friends about their college plans I wonder why some don’t choose gap years. Why is so looked down upon? So many of my friends are going to college with no idea how to pay for college along with no idea of a major or what they want to do yet they go because they feel like they should and it’s the next thing in life. I write this to encourage those who don’t feel like they want to go to college to take an intentional gap year to learn more about themselves, to save money for college or the future, to pick up a trade, or to travel. College is a good thing but I believe everything has a proper time. High schools and families I believe should be more open to a gap year and the growth of maturity it gives.

Tell me what you think. This is open for discussion. 

Articles for Gap Years: 

• 7 Questions to Ask When Considering a Gap Year 
• If Employment Game Has Changed, Who's Teaching the Rules? 
• Students Take Intentional Gap Year