According to a study abroad organization CIEE, Harvard has seen a 33 percent increase in the number of their students electing to take gap years before pursuing their degree.
Though gap years weren’t common during the Baby Boomer collegiate experience, they are becoming increasingly common among millennial young adults looking to branch out and explore other interests, communities, and cultures before entering an undergraduate or graduate school today. According to a study abroad organization CIEE, Harvard has seen a 33 percent increase in the number of their students electing to take gap years before pursuing their degree.
As the world grows increasingly stressful for incoming generations, with inflation, overpopulation, and competition running rampant in every single industry, the consideration of a year to gather one’s thoughts and explore what’s out there is looking tremendously beneficial.
Here are 5 reasons to consider taking a gap year in 2018:
Get to Know Yourself: It’s incredibly common for young adults to be thrust into majors their guidance counselors and parents chose for them, never really exploring their innate interests and what other options are available to them. With a gap year, students get to experience what’s out there, firsthand, before making their final educational choice for the future.
Better Academic Performance: It’s true. Many higher education facilities have reported that gap year students have higher GPAs than their non-gap year counterparts. Additionally, these same students were more likely to take part in extracurricular activities, joining clubs and other organizations during their student experience.
Greater Diversity Awareness: For many of us, we only know the life we grew up living. Although we are more exposed to other cultures through social media than ever before, nothing quite compares to the real-deal: living it. During a gap year, you’re forced to integrate into a new society, making new friends and learning about a diverse culture you are not used to. It forces you out of your comfort zone, providing you with invaluable skills that will be applied to everything thereafter in your life.
Blissful Adventuring: There’s nothing like exploring what’s out there during your youth. You can always see what the world has to offer as you get older, but really tasting life’s fruits in your prime is something you will never forget. If not for anything, taking a gap year teaches you how to pursue joy, finding your own personal happiness that no one can take from you.
Resume Enhancement: Taking a gap year is not only beneficial for your forthcoming collegiate career, it’s also beneficial for when you apply for a job or internship in the future. No one can ever take your gap year away from you, showcasing where you’ve been and what you’ve seen at a young age. It communicates to employers that you’re a go-getter, someone who isn’t afraid of the unknown.
“We work with students to execute their custom-tailored next-step actions so they can identify, curate, and work towards a future that is right for them,” said Randy Oakley, President of the Board of Pacia Life. “We customize life mapping plans designed to meet specific needs and characteristics of the student, ensuring each and every Pacia Life community member is receiving the resources they need to be successful.”
“I am thrilled to be a part of opening a new location in Europe,” says Sarah Persha, Executive Director of Pacia Life Portland and longtime advisor to several GAP year programs and associations. Persha adds, “As a member of the American Gap Association Advisory Team, I have long advocated for the personal growth that comes from young adults who take a GAP year.”
Pacia Life Gap Year Programs
Here at Pacia Life, we provide access to gap year programs that will help you to enhance and fortify your personal passions and endeavors. In addition to having our own location in Puerto Rico and Portugal, we also partner with numerous study abroad, GAP and service-based opportunities. We want you to familiarize yourself with what’s out there, really getting to know your options before you make a final decision. If you’re considering a 2018 gap year, consider one with us today.
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