The dog-days of summer have ended and many millennials are joining campus crowds, but some are opting to wait a year before stepping foot near classes.
This “gap-year†refers to when someone takes a year away from academics prior to enrolling into college. More than 35 percent of high school students at least think of taking a gap year, according to CNBC, and between 30,000 and 40,000 students are currently taking time off for a semester or more, according to the American Gap Association (a nonprofit that accredits gap year programs.)
Chandler Murphy is one Memphian who chose to take a gap year from school. He decided to gain first-hand experience in the music industry after graduating from high school and “got a real grasp on the business side of the music world.â€
“I got to see how the industry functions first-hand by actually involving myself with it by playing shows, recording, selling merch and learning about licensing laws,†Murphy said. “I prepared myself for the music business by throwing myself to the wolves so to speak.â€
Murphy said taking a gap-year gave him the opportunity to meet other musicians and get a real-world sense of what it’s like playing across town. However, he said that taking a gap-year from school isn’t for everyone and there are some cons to this process.
“The danger is that once you’re out of school, it’s very easy to just not go back,†Murphy said.
Murphy is not currently enrolled in school, but said he will return. Josh Tolentino is a recent graduate of Illinois State University who graduated high school in west-suburban Chicago. He found himself in an unexpected “gap-semester.â€
“I was supposed to transfer to DePaul but my loan fell through,†he said. “So I had to drop out.â€
Tolentino admitted during this time he felt unmotivated and describes this time as the lowest point of his life.
“I didn’t know if I wanted to do school anymore, but I realized I wouldn’t be able to accomplish anything I want without a degree, so I forced myself to go back.â€
He decided to continue his academic career in Bloomington-Normal, Illinois and to attend Illinois State University (ISU). Tolentino said he would’ve done things differently during the period of time where he was out of school.
“I would say stay positive, but more importantly keep busy,†he said. “Lots of people stay down on themselves during hard and trying times, but if you’re able to keep your mind busy you don’t think too much about the negativities.â€
The American Gap Association found that 90 percent of students who take a “structured gap year†return to school within a year, and are more likely to graduate on time. Though gap years aren’t always the key to academic success, Tolentino did graduate from ISU and recently worked at The Kansas City Star through an internship program.
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