Gap year
Encyclopedia
An expression or phrase that is associated with taking time out to travel in between life stages. It is also known as sabbatical, time off and time out that refers to a period of time (not necessarily 12 months) in which students disengage from curricular education and undertake non curricular activities, such as travel or work. They are most frequent among individuals who have ceased secondary education
and intend to commence tertiary education
.
in the 1960s. During this time, a student might travel, engage in volunteer work overseas or undertake a working holiday abroad.
In 1978, the Prince of Wales
and Colonel John Blashford-Snell
began what is now known as Raleigh International
by launching Operation Drake
, an expedition voyage around the world following Sir Francis Drake's
route. In the United States, the deferred year idea was promoted by Cornelius H. Bull, in 1980.
A year out has grown very popular among students in the UK, Australia
, New Zealand
and Canada
. A trend for year out is to participate in international education programs that combine language study
, homestay
s, cultural immersion
, community service
, and independent study
.
In 2010, year out travel increased among school, college and university leavers, as this is seen as an attractive option for future career development.
, sabbaticals are customarily taken before or after the compulsory army
service (three years for men, two for women). After secondary school and before joining the military service or after the military service and before starting at university, some Israelis participate in a mechina
program for one academic year. After their military service, Israelis often travel abroad extensively.
matches students with jobs before graduation, and the practice of a sabbatical is unusual in Japan
as a result.
, the practice of taking a "year off" remains the exception. Taking a year out has recently become slightly more common for Americans, with prevailing reasons as a feeling of being burned out of classroom education and a desire to understand oneself better. Universities such as Amherst College
, Princeton University
, Harvard University
, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
, and Reed College
have formal policies allowing students to defer admission. In recent years there has been an increase in 21-23 year olds taking time off after completing their degrees.
, the practice of taking time out to travel after high school education, popularly called a drop year has been on a steep rise in recent years, primarily students deciding to enroll in coaching institutions to prepare themselves for rigorous college entrance examinations, including the IIT-JEE, the entrance test for the Indian Institute of Technology.
, all Senior high school leavers have a year out from August to the August of the following year although this is not mandatory. Brilliant students can avoid this one year break by taking the private high school final exam in their second year instead, before graduating in the third year.
, a deffer year is obligatory between secondary school and University
. Unless you attend a private University, you have to wait one year after secondary school before you can apply to University. It used to be obligatory to go to the army one year for men, and to teach in a school or work in a hospital for women (and for men who cannot attend the army for health reasons). Since the nineties going to the army ceased to be obligatory.
Secondary education
Secondary education is the stage of education following primary education. Secondary education includes the final stage of compulsory education and in many countries it is entirely compulsory. The next stage of education is usually college or university...
and intend to commence tertiary education
Tertiary education
Tertiary education, also referred to as third stage, third level, and post-secondary education, is the educational level following the completion of a school providing a secondary education, such as a high school, secondary school, university-preparatory school...
.
History
The practice of taking a deferred year developed in the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in the 1960s. During this time, a student might travel, engage in volunteer work overseas or undertake a working holiday abroad.
In 1978, the Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
and Colonel John Blashford-Snell
John Blashford-Snell
Colonel John Nicholas Blashford-Snell OBE is a former British Army officer, explorer and author.John Blashford-Snell was educated at Victoria College, Jersey and at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, then commissioned into the Royal Engineers.Amongst his expeditions have been the first descent...
began what is now known as Raleigh International
Raleigh International
Raleigh International is a UK-based youth and sustainable development charity that aims to help people of all backgrounds and nationalities to discover their full potential through their work to improve communities and protect the environment....
by launching Operation Drake
Operation Drake
Operation Drake was a round-the-world voyage with the participation of young people from many countries. The voyage was centred around the brigantine Eye of the Wind. She left Plymouth in October 1978 and returned to London two years later, in December 1980.Named after Sir Francis Drake, who had...
, an expedition voyage around the world following Sir Francis Drake's
Francis Drake
Sir Francis Drake, Vice Admiral was an English sea captain, privateer, navigator, slaver, and politician of the Elizabethan era. Elizabeth I of England awarded Drake a knighthood in 1581. He was second-in-command of the English fleet against the Spanish Armada in 1588. He also carried out the...
route. In the United States, the deferred year idea was promoted by Cornelius H. Bull, in 1980.
A year out has grown very popular among students in the UK, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. A trend for year out is to participate in international education programs that combine language study
Language school
A language school is a school where one studies a foreign language. Classes at a language school are usually geared towards, but not limited to, communicative competence in a foreign language...
, homestay
Homestay
Homestay is a form of tourism and/or study abroad program that allows the visitor to rent a room from a local family to better learn the local lifestyle as well as improve their language ability. While homestays can occur in any destination worldwide, some countries do more to encourage homestay...
s, cultural immersion
Language immersion
Language immersion is a method of teaching a second language in which the target language is used as the means of instruction. Unlike more traditional language courses, where the target language is simply the subject material, language immersion uses the target language as a teaching tool,...
, community service
Community service
Community service is donated service or activity that is performed by someone or a group of people for the benefit of the public or its institutions....
, and independent study
Independent study
Independent study is a form of education offered by many high schools, colleges, and other educational institutions around the world. It is sometimes referred to as directed study...
.
In 2010, year out travel increased among school, college and university leavers, as this is seen as an attractive option for future career development.
Denmark
Denmark has sought to limit the number of students who take a year out, penalizing students who delay their education to travel abroad or work full time. In 2006, it was announced that fewer students than before had taken a year out. In April 2009, the Danish government proposed a new law which gives a bonus to students who refrain from a year out.Israel
In IsraelIsrael
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, sabbaticals are customarily taken before or after the compulsory army
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
service (three years for men, two for women). After secondary school and before joining the military service or after the military service and before starting at university, some Israelis participate in a mechina
Mechina
A Mechina is an Israeli educational program that prepares high school graduates for serving in the Israeli Army or study at an institution of higher learning in Israel...
program for one academic year. After their military service, Israelis often travel abroad extensively.
Japan
The employment practice known as Simultaneous Recruiting of New GraduatesSimultaneous Recruiting of New Graduates
is the custom that companies hire new graduates all at once and employ them; this custom is unique to Japan and South Korea. The Japanese post-war economic miracle spread this custom among many companies in order to produce steady employment every year....
matches students with jobs before graduation, and the practice of a sabbatical is unusual in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
as a result.
United States
In the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the practice of taking a "year off" remains the exception. Taking a year out has recently become slightly more common for Americans, with prevailing reasons as a feeling of being burned out of classroom education and a desire to understand oneself better. Universities such as Amherst College
Amherst College
Amherst College is a private liberal arts college located in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States. Amherst is an exclusively undergraduate four-year institution and enrolled 1,744 students in the fall of 2009...
, Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
, Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
, and Reed College
Reed College
Reed College is a private, independent, liberal arts college located in southeast Portland, Oregon. Founded in 1908, Reed is a residential college with a campus located in Portland's Eastmoreland neighborhood, featuring architecture based on the Tudor-Gothic style, and a forested canyon wilderness...
have formal policies allowing students to defer admission. In recent years there has been an increase in 21-23 year olds taking time off after completing their degrees.
India
In IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, the practice of taking time out to travel after high school education, popularly called a drop year has been on a steep rise in recent years, primarily students deciding to enroll in coaching institutions to prepare themselves for rigorous college entrance examinations, including the IIT-JEE, the entrance test for the Indian Institute of Technology.
Ghana
In GhanaGhana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
, all Senior high school leavers have a year out from August to the August of the following year although this is not mandatory. Brilliant students can avoid this one year break by taking the private high school final exam in their second year instead, before graduating in the third year.
Yemen
In YemenYemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
, a deffer year is obligatory between secondary school and University
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
. Unless you attend a private University, you have to wait one year after secondary school before you can apply to University. It used to be obligatory to go to the army one year for men, and to teach in a school or work in a hospital for women (and for men who cannot attend the army for health reasons). Since the nineties going to the army ceased to be obligatory.
See also
- Journeyman yearsJourneyman yearsThe journeyman years refer to the tradition of setting out on a journey for several years after completing apprenticeship as a craftsman. The tradition dates back to medieval times and is still alive in German-speaking countries...
- Career breakCareer breakA career break is a period of time out from employment. Traditionally, this was for mothers to raise children, but it is now used for people taking time out of their career for personal development and/or professional development.-History:...
- Overseas experienceOverseas experienceOverseas experience is a New Zealand term for an extended overseas working holiday. Sometimes referred to as "The big OE" in reference to the extended duration of the travel - typically at least one year, and often extending far longer...
- Sabbatical yearSabbatical yearSabbatical or a sabbatical is a rest from work, or a hiatus, often lasting from two months to a year. The concept of sabbatical has a source in shmita, described several places in the Bible...
- Work-life balanceWork-life balanceWork–life balance is a broad concept including proper prioritizing between "work" on the one hand and "life" on the other. Related, though broader, terms include "lifestyle balance" and "life balance".-History:The work-leisure dichotomy was invented in the mid 1800s...
- Simultaneous Recruiting of New GraduatesSimultaneous Recruiting of New Graduatesis the custom that companies hire new graduates all at once and employ them; this custom is unique to Japan and South Korea. The Japanese post-war economic miracle spread this custom among many companies in order to produce steady employment every year....
- Working holiday