Tradition has become an enormous part of society today, particularly in the United States. We feel fear to change, like the saying; “How many Americans does it take to change a lightbulb? Change, who said anything about change?” We have become so accustomed to our social norms that we don’t know if we could be doing something more efficiently. For instance, ever since attending a higher educational institution after secondary school became an accustomed action, that has been the expectation for most high school students in the US. Certainly, people took breaks from or dropped out of school to work before gap years became more widely popular, but unfortunately, they still held negative implications. Still to this day, many people dislike the idea of taking time off after high school. What we didn’t know then, and what is still ambiguous today, is that we can generate a new social norm that would be advantageous towards our society. If gap years were to become a well-funded, more accepted program in the eyes of the general public, we would be able to experience the beneficial aspects that have the capability of improving humanity. Although it can be seen as a non-traditional custom and an excuse for procrastinating, lazy teenagers, gap years have the capability of improving our society because it gives the participants the chance to travel, time to mature, and opportunity to explore the world around them, developing perspectives for effective citizenship. 

Back in 18th century Britain, young, aristocratic men would go on a Grand Tour to travel Europe and learn about its art, culture, and history (O’Shea). They referred to the Grand Tour as “the travel [practice] of a young man of rank often in his teen, undertaken as the ‘crown’ of his liberal education” and it was considered an essential part of a gentleman’s education (O’Shea; Morley). It served as an extension of the typical educational experience of that time, which is why many scholars argue that this was a heavy influence on the modern-day gap year (O’Shea). We can also see an influence from post-WWII Britain, where “all young men were conscripted at age 18 for two years of National Service in a branch of the armed forces, unless they were granted a deferment to continue their education and enlisted after graduation” (Morley). Those two years were essentially an enforced gap, between furthering your study or going to join the workforce. This gap accelerated the maturing process of all those young men, whose professors favored the higher level of maturity in contrast with students coming straight from secondary school (Morley). Scholars have also argued that gap years have been partially shaped from the hippie movement of countercultural youths from Britain who traveled the world during the 60s and 70s (O’Shea). Throughout British history, the structure of the modern-day gap year was being formed from different practices, ultimately leading to a very appealing movement. 

Although it seems like a historically British practice, it has begun to develop in other countries. Before it began getting popular in the US more recently, it was much more prevalent in the UK and Australia during the turn of the century. According to the Higher Education Research Institute, just 1.2% of US college freshmen deferred their admissions to their respective institution to take a gap year in 2011 (Baker). On the other hand, in the UK, the percentage of college applicants who took a year off before higher education went from 5.5% in 1986 to 13% in 2006 (O’Shea). As for Australia, the percentage went from about 4% in 1974 to 11% in 2004. Gap years have even been reported to be on the rise in Japan, as well, where institutions are beginning to encourage students to defer admissions to take time off from school. 

Many people have trouble identifying what a gap year really is. There is no clear dictionary definition of what a gap year is, but it is most commonly referred to as the “period of time which an individual takes out of formal education, training, or the workforce where that time sits in the context of a longer term career trajectory” (Martin). The time spent off is usually 12 months, hence the name gap ‘year’. However, it can be as short as a couple of months or as long as two years, depending on how the participants choose to spend their time (Jones). It can also be mentioned as a break between secondary school and higher education (high school and college). Gap years offer many opportunities that are best seized outside of the stress of higher education. Not that some of the opportunities can’t be pursued while attending a university; it is just much easier to do without the added stress. 

Young adults who choose to take a gap in their education can truly improve their potential career in a variety of ways. They can spend their time doing something they have always wanted to do but never had the time to; for instance, volunteer abroad. Volunteering abroad is a great experience to see different parts of the world and providing aid towards the citizens there (Claeys). An example of what someone can volunteer abroad for is shown in a Deseret News article featuring a girl named Samantha Krieg from New Jersey (Baker). Samantha deferred her admission to Georgetown University and first, travelled to Florence, Italy where she learned the Italian language and about Italian art/culture (Baker). She also went to the Bahamas and trained in yoga, ultimately becoming a certified instructor. Her last visit was to Ireland where she did a business internship for a company in the publishing industry. During the experience, Samantha also had time for a self-reflection and gain the confidence to chase her dream of becoming a neuroscientist, which she had always been pessimistic about (Baker). One quote that Samantha said after her year off was over and she started school at Georgetown is the epitome of the claim that gap years allow the participant to mature very well; “‘When I first got to college, everyone was talking about how nervous and uncomfortable they felt,’ she said. ‘I never felt that way’” (Baker). Whatever a gap year participant wants to do during their time off is completely up to them, however it is crucial to use the time wisely because “a well-spent gap year makes an application stand out”, especially today where universities and employers are very hard to impress (Claeys). 

When identifying different relationships between young people and their educational backgrounds, we can classify the relationships under specific categories. There are seven main categories that young adults are fitted into based on the nature of the life event corresponding to the trajectory of their break. The first category (category A) represents the stereotypical gap year takers, individuals who most closely meet the image of the lay-person (Jones, 27). These are individuals who either decide to take a gap year after secondary school or end up taking a gap year after secondary school due to circumstances during the conclusion of their school career, like not being admitted to university. Undergraduate students who take a gap year configure category B, ultimately being divided into two sub-categories. The first sub-category is labeled “Undergraduate Break in Study”, a mid-course break in undergraduate studies, usually being a 12-month period. The other sub-category is comprised of students who have a requirement to take a degree-related year that contains course-related elements outside of university context (Jones, 28). This grouping is labeled “Undergraduate Combined with Course” and is frequently referred to as a sandwich year, which is most commonly done by engineering and business students and is often completed in less than the given 12 months. The two sub-categories of category B are used the same way in category D, except for postgraduate students instead of undergrads. This would apply to students seeking research degrees. The other few categories are not as common, which is why they aren’t as significant. There is a definite clear pattern in the relationship between the student and their educational upbringing. 

 What many people tend to confuse is the distinct difference between the factors that influence a decision and the reasons a decision is made (Jones). Participants tend to report that one of the major reasons for taking a year off is because they need a break from their formal education or employment (Martin; Jones). Many humans, specifically most Americans, are in school from age five until twenty-one, on average. For some, even more. Once we graduate high school or college, we proceed to the workforce. Some people will never have an opportunity to experience what the average gap year participant experiences because of the speed at which our society moves. The inevitable hustle of the working world is a powerful motivator for many young people to broaden their horizons through new experiences before settling into a career (Jones). For some, altruism and civic engagement are driving forces in opting to take time off, while for others, religious motivations are the main reason. However, it is difficult to be specific as to why an individual takes on a certain form of gap year because not all participants share the same motivations. With that in mind, it is suggested that we can extract a number of observations “from existing literature and research in relation to the general forms of motivation” (Jones). 

Aside from the reasoning behind the decision to take time off, gap years are typically “influenced by a series of factors related to the social context in which a young person finds themselves” (Jones). There are numerous probable influences on the decision-making process of an individual, but there are a few that make up the majority, some of which are linked to the different categories of a gap year. One of the most significant factors, especially for category A (post-school gap year participation), is the educational context in which the individual resides, which emphasizes the importance of the school’s role (Jones). Not only does the school’s guiding process play a vital part, but also its relationships with “supplier schools” are critical. Individuals who are aiming to take a career path more focused on training or employment are heavily influenced by their peers. This is due to the lesser likeliness of finding access to career advice otherwise (Jones). Even though these students preparing for the next step in their lives are becoming adults and are trying to make the right decision for themselves, family background and parental advisement are also important influences. Parents are usually the key supplier of funds and support towards their children, whether the teenager likes it or not. It is possible that the increase of popularity of gap years within the past year is because of Malia Obama, who is taking time off before she attends Harvard University (Lieber). One of the reasons why Ms Obama decided to take time off is because of the appeal for high school graduates who don’t know what they want out of college or seek to work, travel or volunteer on the sort of schedule than an academic calendar does not allow.

With rising popularity of gap years in the US, the criticism behind the emergence of the practice is a testament of its establishment as an institution. There is still some ways to go before it becomes a more socially accepted norm. Although a large population of the country could care less about how the young adults of our society spend their education time, some heavily oppose the idea of taking time off. One of the more prevalent reasons suggests that gap years distract young people from the typical transition between school and further education or work (Martin). Taking a gap year is very abnormal in our society because people get caught up in the traditional sense of education; “excel in high school, graduate from a prestigious university, and get a good job” (Fan). Robert Clagett, a former dean of admissions at Middlebury College and former senior admissions officer at Harvard, states that “More and more students are stepping off the educational treadmill, pursuing interests and reminding themselves in the process of what their education is really all about” (O’Shea). Clagett does not agree with the traditional American education system, where many parents would rather their child not take a gap year due to the doubt that their student won’t return after taking time off (Lieber). According to the journal article “Mind the gap? Estimating the effects of postponing higher education”, authors Holmlund, Liu, and Skans state that “some have argued that gap years are socially costly as they presumably reduce the number of years of work after university graduation” (Holmlund, Liu, and Skans). However, this argument has very little evidence about how the typical time taken for a gap year could affect the labor market. In fact, there was a study done where students who have taken a gap year reported that they were extremely satisfied with their careers in the workforce (Haigler, Nelson). It appears as though there isn’t a legitimate reason in opposition of the prevalence of gap year programs in the US.

One specific program that mostly sparked my interest in this topic was an organization called UnCollege. In a Ted Talk, Jean Fan gives a pitch for her organization, where she is the director of community. The purpose of this organization is to help people take control of their education through its gap year program. Fan deferred her admissions to Stanford University to work, learn, and travel. She states that “for those who want to excel in college, to those who are questioning the current system, to those who just want time to pursue personal projects”, take a year off from school (Fan). Many times, students rush themselves into college, unprepared, thinking it’s the quickest way to success. UnCollege encourages young adults to explore their options and build a life they will want to lead. What Fan explains about the American education system is that it has created a population of young people who are good at following directions, but who are really bad at thinking for themselves. Better individuals together makes a better society because of how their experiences aid them in their specific careers or in a global matter. Ultimately, Fan clarifies an excellent idea that in a gap year, you are taking a year on, not off.

Following a gap year, young adults are better prepared for the self-directedness and maturity needed for the rest of their lives and are able to “reflect higher performance outcomes, career choice formation, improved employability, and a variety of life skills” (Martin; Jones). Those who oppose gap years argue that gap years distract young adults from the typical linear transition between school and further education or work and that the year off negatively affects academic and workforce outcomes in the future (Martin). Once again, tradition is in the way of a possible societal benefit because Americans don’t know how to accept change. Many researchers and academics acknowledge that if you use your time off wisely, gap years are a tremendously positive educational experience for the participant and potentially the global well-being, as it leads to more maturity and greater global knowledge. 
