Gap year travel can help young adults find direction
July 18, 2011
More students are choosing to take time off after high school to travel and learn about the world and themselves before they go to college. U.S. News & World Report states that many traveling students are productive during their gap years, as they volunteer, learn new languages and work while they are abroad. The time off can also be beneficial for young adults who aren't quite sure what they want for their futures.
"They have no sense of who they are, and sitting in a classroom hasn't conferred that upon them," said Sam Bull, the executive director of the gap year abroad program LEAPNOW. "They simply want to know about themselves and the world before having to choose a major that will have something to do with their adult life."
The people who started the gap year trend decades ago are now preparing their kids for the same thing, and this can cause concern, as they've seen what can go wrong while abroad, according to The Telegraph. Good preparation can ease parental worry, and international calling cards can help them stay in touch with their children while they are out experiencing the world.