USVI-On-Line

I think it is different for different people. I think if the student graduating from high school is ready to go to college and appreciate it, encourage them to go to college directly from high school. If they are gonna go there and waste money, then let them take some time off.

I would have loved a gap year. I did take the summer before my last year of college to not work full time. I'm pretty sure that doesn't count!

If we ever have kids, I think I would encourage them to take their gap year after college before entering the work force. I went straight into a full time job, but thankfully, have always had 4 or more weeks of vacation and I was single until I was 28. I do think waiting to get married was kind of like having a gap year because I took all of those vacation weeks and did really cool trips with friends. Favorite being 3 weeks in France/Italy. Many of the experiences I had on that trip alone have changed the way I think and live my life.

My buddie who is a dentist has a son who took a gap year 10 years ago and is still with it. He is a ski instructor in Colo in the winter and a ski instructor during the summer in New Zealand (there winter), something like that. We had this discussion and his take is his kid is well adjusted, well traveled and happy as can be. Although his knees are beginning to give a bit. Granted he is 29 and still has a way to go if he wants to enter the "real" (?) world. But it is about happiness we agreed. Just a take from the other side.

LiamsAunt-- I think the reason we are all so STJ/USVI obsessed is because we were denied a gap year!! Talk about arrested development!

I, too, started college at 16 and was so focused on going to school and working that it was never an option for me. I worked part time from the time I was 15 until I graduated college -- and worked full time ever since.

I am fortunate to be able to vacation and travel and value that time. Sure I would have liked to have a gap year and would definitely recommend it -- but I'm not sure I could have truly appreciated it if I had!

I used my college years as gap years.

I received school loans & also worked at the family business to pay for my college education as well as my college travels.

My four year degree took five (or was it six?) years to get and during my lulls, I traveled.

I was lucky enough to have a boyfriend with wander lust and ended up driving out to Niagara Falls for almost a week, spending a month+ backpacking around Europe (pre-Euro mid & southern Europe were grossly affordable for a college student), 2 weeks in Japan and variuous roadtrips around New England.

When I look at my US Department of Education bill, I think of Japan and the pain in the checkbook isn't so bad!

My time spent in Europe and Japan shaped me significantly and I would reccomend foreign country travel to anyone but especially to 20-somethings.

It's quite humbling to go somewhere where your language is not spoken, your reputation matters nil, your priorities are not shared and sometimes people are mean to you for being an American.

Also, if you are from a very spiritual & religious family, travelling through Europe will be AMAZING!!! The history & the churches are amazing!

Gromit wrote:LiamsAunt-- I think the reason we are all so STJ/USVI obsessed is because we were denied a gap year!! Talk about arrested development!

That's it exactly! I see all these kids taking time off from the "real world," traveling around, working on a boat or waiting tables and going to the beach every day, and I think to myself, Man! Why didn't I think of that!! It honestly never would have occured to me to take a break like that at the time. Well, my wallet probably would not have allowed it either but that's a different story.

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Enjoying my gap year right now! Retired from teaching and enjoying every minute of my free time. Teaching afforded me with long summer vacations and twice a year weeks off. So there were some gaps in there, so to speak.