Taking a gap year is not something that was common when I was in high school and considering my options after graduation. However, there are many more options now for students who want to take a gap year or who may be uncertain about what they want to do in the future after high school. My oldest child wanted to stay on track with his friends and enter college the fall after he graduated from high school. My younger child also wanted to go to college, but she has been competing in equestrian showjumping events around the country for the last few years and during her junior year, she and my husband came up with a plan for her to take a gap year to focus on her sport before she went to school again. It has been a positive experience for her overall and she is even more excited now about going to college this fall!
We chose to wait for her to work on college applications after she graduated, during the first summer and fall of that gap year, so she would not have to defer her enrollment. Some students that take a gap year choose to apply to universities during the fall of their senior year, like the normal time frame, and defer enrollment after they are accepted and that is another perfectly fine option. During the fall of my daughter's senior year we were still dealing with restrictions from a worldwide pandemic and it was hard to even visit college campuses in person, so that was another huge factor that helped us make this decision.
During the fall of her gap year, my daughter was training and competing with her horses, but she also had more time to spend working on her college applications, essays, getting recommendation letters, and all of the things required for her to complete her applications. I already had her grades and transcript completed since she had already graduated, but it gave me time to finish up full course descriptions and a set of comprehensive home school records that I prepared to send in with her applications, as her guidance counselor.
She also has done more work at the barn, since she did not have to hurry home to do school work after her riding lessons. She has done extra riding to help her trainer out with other horses, did a bit of office work, and pitched in to do feeding and grooming of the horses as needed. So she has gained skills that will be good to have even if she only has horses as a hobby in the future.
High school can be very busy and stressful, so our daughter has finally enjoyed having some time to relax and just develop herself. While having a break from school she has had time to enjoy other things like working out, playing piano, reading a book for fun, and spending time with people who are important to her. She has had time to sleep, cook healthy meals, and focus on her well-being.
She also spent some time away from home, showing horses, when we let her go by herself and she was on her own. It has been good for her to watch how much gas she has in her car and how much money she has in her bank account. She also had to buy her own food and toiletries, much like she will when she is at college. She structured her own time, getting herself to bed and getting up to go to the barn each morning. While she was there, she also got really sick one week and experienced what it's like to be sick and far away from home. She got better, but I think it was a bit of a realization of how much she appreciates all that we do for her when she is living in our home, with us.
Overall, our daughter has gained real life learning experiences during her gap year that are different than the experiences she will have in college. Although living away from home is similar to going to college, she has simply had more time to develop herself before going to away to live at a university. Time is a commodity that is fleeting and many of us do not have the opportunity to give ourselves more time, but this year she did have the gift of time and now she is even more excited and ready for her future, sure of herself and her goals for the next chapter of her life.
No comments:
Post a Comment