<p>Perhaps we place to much emphasis on ‘getting to college’,between honors,ap,sat tutors,ec’s and for some work and athletics…you shouldn’t be burnt out from HS…i am in the camp,get to college,find a study abroad program…i am not a big fan of gap years</p>
<p>[Harvard</a> College Admissions § Applying: Taking Time Off](<a href=“http://www.admissions.college.harvard.edu/apply/time_off/index.html]Harvard”>http://www.admissions.college.harvard.edu/apply/time_off/index.html)</p>
<p>$25k in loans each year for four years is $100k. That is way too much to borrow. Run the loan repayment repayment calculators at [FinAid</a>! Financial Aid, College Scholarships and Student Loans](<a href=“http://www.finaid.org%5DFinAid”>http://www.finaid.org) to see how much you would need to pay back each month, and sit down with a loan officer at your bank or financial institution to find out if you and your family would evenbe able to borrow that much. There is a thread right now in the Financial Aid forum discussing the option available for a student whose parents have not been allowed to borrow any more money.</p>
<p>Pick up the phone, call BU and arrange to defer enrollment. Take the year off. If you can’t travel abroad with Woof, look for similar opportunities in this country. Rodale used to take volunteers at it’s research facility in Pennsylvania, and there certainly would be other options around the country.</p>
<p>If you want my opinion than you need to go to college this semester. You have had a break, it’s called summer and I find it hard to believe that you can be mentally exhausted after such a long break. I’m already itching to get back into it again. It’s not like high school either, college is a fantastic opportunity to learn great new things, to meet so many new people, and to have so much fun. </p>
<p>I would be willing to bet that if you took a gap year you would find yourself not only somewhat lonely but regretful. What would you do during a gap year? You said travel but would it be alone? I just couldn’t do that. Let’s not forget that after an entire YEAR without school you will be rusty on all of your subjects and will find adjusting to college life much more difficult. There is no other place than college that I would rather be at or be going to after high school. I have a friend who is taking a gap year and I couldn’t be more disappointing in him. Not only will most of his friends be leaving him in the dust but he won’t find anything to fill his time with besides flip burgers at Wendy’s.</p>
<p>It sort of seems like your making college out to be a dull, lonesome, and exhausting ordeal. That is not the case! There is literally unlimited fun to be had in college and your day actually seems to open up more. I only have class a couple hours every day and on Friday only one class mid-day. Studying certainly won’t occupy nearly the rest of my available time, one of the reasons for college (for me) is to have fun!</p>
<p>At best I feel like it’s a far-fetched, lofty, and unorganized plan. You might want to extend your life as it is now, but it wouldn’t be the same. Go to college and before you know it your apprehensions will disappear and you will be glad that you made the right decision.</p>
<p>Forty-two years ago I felt just as you do: burned out from hard work in a rigorous high school, and anxious to do some living before buckling down again. What I didn’t understand was that the best way to “do some living” was probably to go to college and interact with peers, explore interests, enjoy the city, all things available to you at BU.</p>
<p>I wish I had gone, honestly. The bottom line is that life works out regardless, but taking a full gap year may, indeed, isolate you, and you may not enjoy going back to college so much after a year off. It can go either way. When you are 23 and still in college, you may wish you had just gone ahead and gone, too (though many of us today spend decades on a degree, so you won’t be unusual).</p>
<p>If you are tired, consider other options: take the fall off, or go this fall but tell yourself that you can take a leave of absence for spring term; look into taking a reduced courseload (3 classes) and make it up later. If you are working full time now, can you take a few weeks off in August and relax?</p>
<p>The college students I know do way more traveling than the kids I know who did not go, with the idea of travel. I know several kids who delayed college, and Woofed or Couch Surfed or backpacked and came back tired and disappointed. In contrast, study abroad during the year or summer, in a college program, provides a home base for deeper exploration of a culture, and a focus. Many schools provide grants for travel as well.</p>
<p>Is there any chance that you are depressed? I am not pathologizing your feelings, I promise: your questioning is mature and justified. But some kids do get a boost from either counseling or short-term meds for the transition to school. If this is totally off base, please forgive me: just a thought. At Harvard, I have read, 50% of students fall in this category!</p>
<p>I strongly advise you to try school, but give yourself a break in some way, either by letting yourself try a break after first semester, if needed (you can decide in late fall) or by taking fewer courses. If you start, you will have a school and friends to come back to after a gap term. </p>
<p>Only you know the extent of your burnout. All I can say, from the vantage point of experience and even some hard-earned wisdom, is that really “living life” and developing as a human being usually happens in ordinary day to day ways, not in dramatic experiences like travel. I have watched my kids grow and mature in the college years in truly amazing ways, and not one of them has yet left the country!</p>
<p>(If money is an issue, then that is another thing to consider. I have responded without addressing the money concerns, except to say, again, that travel and living abroad will be subsidized by colleges in many cases, and if you go on your own, you will have to earn the full costs of travel.)</p>
<p>What’s wrong with taking on debt?</p>
<p>I can’t think of a better reason to take on debt. What’s better than education debt? A 25k car? A 200k house?</p>
<p>Bu is an excellent education that will likely result in a life time of high income. A car will be worth zero in 10 years</p>
<p>^^ Nothing wrong with taking on debt in certian instances, and for certian students. What is wrong is taking on debt when an equal program would produce the same results. If you were shopping for a car, and one dealership’s price was $4,000 less than another for the same car, why would you pay the extra $4,000. Some people may have legitimate reasons. But most of us would purchase the same car at the lower price.</p>
<p>I can’t think of a state school, including cal, that will provide as good an education as bu</p>
<p>Maybe study abroad?</p>
<p>The amount can go down each year, too. As assets are spent on college costs, financial aid can dramatically increase.</p>
<p>Good for you for thinking about if now is the time. </p>
<p>I know a couple students that have taken a GAP and work with an Americorp type program. It was great for them. Both think that it made them more “ready” for college and gave them some educational dollars -that come at the end of some programs. In one case the experience got them an additional scholarship. </p>
<p>We are all very different so listen to yourself and those around you, who’s opinions you value and that have earned your trust over your lifetime.</p>
<p>Congratulations, revoltxo, on your admission to BU. Kudos, as well, for now considering a gap year and for so appropriately articulating your thoughts and concerns.</p>
<p>Having been raised and educated in the U.S. at a time (the 1970’s) and place (the Midwest) where a gap year would have been considered - and was - unthinkable, and now having lived the whole of my post-BA/JD life in Australia where gap years are common, I hope I might offer an additional perspective for you to consider. The short, anecdotal version is this: for monetary reasons, I compressed my two degrees from 7 years to 5 and a-half. While I truly enjoyed my education, it was rushed. I knew it then; I continue to consider it to have been so, now. The one thing I didn’t do - didn’t have time to do - was to truly consider my academic subjects either in the depth or with the respect they deserved. So, of course, that’s what I needed to do in subsequent years!</p>
<p>Partly because of my experience, our D is taking a much-needed gap year to re-charge, reflect, work, travel, read books at her leisure and, frankly, from her parents’ vantage, mature a bit more, etc., prior to commencing at Columbia late next month. Another young woman from her year in her school has done the same thing in her lead-up to Oxford, although a third, who will be attending University College London, elected to start university coursework here prior to her departure. In our family’s experience, regardless of university location, about 25-30% of the young people we know elect to take a gap year. </p>
<p>In just a quick scan of more authoritative Australian perspectives, you might care to have a look at the following:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>from the University of Sydney ‘Gap year can prepare students for uni life’: [News</a> | The University of Sydney](<a href=“http://www.usyd.edu.au/news/84.html?newsstoryid=5559]News”>http://www.usyd.edu.au/news/84.html?newsstoryid=5559) </p></li>
<li><p>a discussion paper with regard to the University of Canberra’s for-credit ‘Gap Year Plus’ program which contains an interesting history of the ‘gap year phenomenon’ entitled ‘Gap Year Plus: Preparing Professionals, Professionally’: <a href=“http://www.waceinc.org/papers/vancouver/Australia/Milne,%20Kennedy,%20Ward.pdf[/url]”>http://www.waceinc.org/papers/vancouver/Australia/Milne,%20Kennedy,%20Ward.pdf</a></p></li>
<li><p>and, for those who worry that taking time off might mean one is tempted never to start their university studies (and, of course, some do not), a comparison of tertiary education rates among OECD countries, including both the U.S. and Australia: [Tertiary</a> Graduates - NSW Department of Trade and Investment: Business in NSW](<a href=“http://www.business.nsw.gov.au/invest-in-nsw/about-nsw/people-skills-and-education/tertiary-graduates]Tertiary”>http://www.business.nsw.gov.au/invest-in-nsw/about-nsw/people-skills-and-education/tertiary-graduates).</p></li>
</ul>
<p>While it always depends upon the individual, I think the reasons you outlined for deferring the start of your college education are imminently supportable. I do hope that you will be able to persuade your parents to condone travelling as part of a gap year. We know kids who have traversed the gamut of gap year travel options, from travelling solo in remote Mongolia for several months to small groups of friends meeting in various European and Asian venues to ‘packaged’ gap year travel groups to kids working their way across Europe or the States (and two of these are working overseas to earn enough to support their university costs once they return).</p>
<p>Good luck with your decision(s). And if you are taking a gap year, you ought to get the BU deferral organized asap.</p>
<p>Thanks for the replies. It helps to see varying opinions on the subject. I’m giving myself tonight and possibly tomorrow to decide and if I decide to go with the gap year, I will do overnight delivery to Boston to make sure it gets there by August 1st. It’s such a big decision, and I have so little time to make it. It’s like my heart is telling me to take the gap year, explore my interests-take up photography, further my guitar playing skills, learn the piano, take time to just read really great book for the fun of it and than ultimately travel. But my head tells me to go to Boston-it’s the right thing to do. Also, I am 17, I started kindergarten when I was 4 and a lot of people that I met at the BU orientation turn 19 before I turn 18, so me taking a year off wouldn’t really put me behind so much. I would graduate when I’m 22. I love that Australia and the UK encourages the gap year, it’s just not as popular here in the US. </p>
<p>OH and yes, BU will cost me 25000 per year, but like I said, my parents are helping. They’re taking out the parent loan, I’m taking out the student loan. I feel like I should only go to BU next year if I really feel like it’s right. I don’t want to throw 25,000 down the drain. </p>
<p>I’m off to make my pros and cons list and just relax and think. I appreciate all of the responses, it truly does help.</p>
<p>I think that you are very mature for your age, and that might be part of why you are feeling this way. I’m the same way.</p>
<p>I totally understand your “burned out” feeling-I’ve dealt with the same thing. I worked so hard in high school, especially the last couple of years. My junior year was difficult-I was taking a lot of IB classes, was in clubs, and then to top it off I had mono most of the year. I had no study halls either. I took a couple of weeks off the summer before senior year, and then I got a job. I worked at my job my entire senior year-some weeks I was working 30 hours. I still had all of those IB classes, I had to apply to college, and for the beginning of the year I still had to deal with the lingering effects of being sick. I thought once I got done with applying to schools it would get easier, but it didn’t. My application for my top choice school basically got messed up (and no it was not my fault, it was the school’s). On top of dealing with that stress, my job was super stressful. Let’s just say I was barely hanging on through most of the year.</p>
<p>I ended up deciding to apply to a community college. I know everybody just hates the idea of that, I was one of those people at first. I thought that I had worked so hard, NO WAY was I going to a school for “bad students” and “slackers” (now I see how ignorant I was). But I just had to suck it up, look at the negatives and positives of my situation, and make the best decision for me that I thought I could make. At first a lot of people looked down on me for my decision, but now I feel that I made a good choice. I’ll be saving money, and I can live at home (I wasn’t too keen on the whole dorm and partying idea). I ended up getting scholarships to pay for my entire first year, and I’m hoping to get some for next year as well. I even was able to take this summer off (I quit my crappy job) and relax a little bit before college since I got the scholarships.</p>
<p>I guess what I’m trying to say here, is you need to decide what you think is the best decision for you. Don’t do what everyone else tells you to do, just because they tell you to. Like I said, everyone told me “don’t go to the community college” but now that I’ll have really low student debts when I’m done, and they’ll have $150k+, they tell me I was smart. Even the doctors I know are telling me I made a really smart move. You have to do what you think is the best for you, and it will all work out. </p>
<p>You seem really set on going to BU, but is there any way you would consider going to even a local state school? (I’m not going to push the community college thing on you, because 99% of the people on here seem against those). You could go part time, work a little, travel some. Maybe even do some internships and figure out what you want to do? No offense or anything, but I thought I read you didn’t know what you wanted to do yet, and that’s ok, even a lot of adults don’t. If you still aren’t sure, is it worth it to shell out all of that money a year? I’ve known kids who think they want to be engineers, but figure out their passion is music their last semester of college. They’re waitressing in NYC, with an almost complete engineering degree under their belt, with a bunch of school debt. </p>
<p>I’m sorry for the super long post, I got rambling there. Basically, just go with what your gut is telling you. From what you’ve said, I would take a gap semester and think about things a little. I hope I helped at least somewhat.</p>
<p>Btw, just saw this post is from about a week ago, so I might be too late with my response. Did you end up deciding?</p>
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<p>Then you’re just not thinking very clearly.</p>
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<p>That is young. Two of my boys headed off to college at 18+ and the youngest will be 19 when he leaves. I’m with the parent(s) who say to call the school tomorrow and as you can see there are very much varied opinions. Ask if you can defer for a year and maintain any scholarships. There is absolutely nothing wrong with taking a breather for year, entering next year with an entire class of kids most of whom will be your age and a whole new attitude. It will also give you a breather to contemplate more what it is you want from the college experience, never a bad thing. Too often kids get caught up in the frenzy or their parents get caught up in the frenzy of high school boom then college. Parents worry that the kids will never go to college if they don’t go right after high school. My feeling is that kids will go when they are committed and feel the need to go. There is no law that says you must head out 3 months after you graduate from high school and life is a long haul not a short sprint. </p>
<p>The most successful college students aren’t always the ones that did the best in high school…successful students are the students that understand why they are there and have their heads wrapped around that particular experience and can savor and appreciate the experience. For a few it’s 17, for many it’s 18 and many more are 19 or 20 or 21 or older.</p>
<p>Thanks everyone. For anyone who cares to know, I’ve decided on taking the gap year. Most people think I’ve gone completely crazy, but deep now I feel like I made the right choice. I have a job lined up for the first semester and I have some goals I plan on completing by the end of the year. I am trying to decide the best way to travel next semester but I will figure it out. Once everything is all planned and organized, I think I will feel even better with my decision. Obviously there are doubts, especially when I hear how happy my friends are to be going off to college in the next few weeks, but I’m sure I’ll get through it all. Again, I appreciate all of the insight, it made my decision easier.</p>
<p>OH, and BU accepted this deferment and I am getting in touch with financial aid to discuss everything.</p>
<p>Good for you.</p>
<p>Have a great year.</p>
<p>You have very valid points and I totally understand your position. Trust your instincts. Best of luck to you!</p>
<p>Have a great year, take a breather and see where you are early next summer. I’m betting you’ll be ready to head off to college then! At the very least a year off from academics will be liberating and will only add to your perspective regarding college.</p>