1. Discovering Purpose
A Gap Year gives students the opportunity to do something completely different. Taking that step off the academic treadmill allows them to reflect on where they want to go and what they want to achieve in life. This, in turn, helps students begin post-secondary studies or employment with a more mature and focused mindset to discover meaning, purpose, and their reason for being on planet Earth. We cannot underestimate the profound importance of this discovery. Furthermore, the opportunity in the Pindari Centre’s Gap Year program to participate in a “mission” trip will broaden their understanding of the world they live in, opening their eyes to the vast scope of opportunities that lie ahead for them to make a positive difference in a troubled world.
2. Avoiding Burnout
Perhaps most importantly, given the pressure in many high schools to excel in school and extracurricular activities to gain admission to post-secondary education, many students experience intellectual fatigue. Going straight to university can be one of the reasons for the exceptionally high first-year dropout rate of 25% and a staggering 68.9% of students failing to complete their university courses after nine years. A Gap Year enables “batteries” to be charged, giving fresh energy, enthusiasm, and direction for further study and/or employment.
3. Boosting Academic Performance
Does taking a break slow down a student’s academic momentum and push back their academic careers by a year? Actually, research conducted by an economist at Middlebury College – and replicated at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill – found the opposite is true. Not only did students who took a Gap Year perform, on average, better than those who did not, but they also actually performed better than would have been predicted based on their academic credentials when they applied to college. For instance, the study found that the students who took a Gap Year earned ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admission Rank) scores (equivalent to GPA in the American system) that were .15 to .25 points higher than predicted. In addition, universities can give credits for prior learning with many of the vocational academic programs that are on offer at the Pindari Centre.
Conclusion
A careful consideration of the “cost-benefit” analysis of a gap year is more than an appreciation of the dollar cost. What price can you place on a purpose-filled life that brings a gift to this world because of a life well lived? Indeed, a gift money cannot buy!