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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I’m from the UK where gap years are very common. I appreciate it is very different here but it is common in the UK for kids to either get a job for say 6 months to save money and then use the money to travel for the remainder, or to go work and travel somewhere else (e.g. in Australia or Thailand or somewhere with a lot of travelers). Some kids also do gap year programs which usually involve a combination of volunteering, working or studying. Some of these are expensive but others are not.[/quote]

What this sounds like to me is gap year is for rich kids from wealthy families who have money to blow (waste on non-productive adults), and these kids travel for 6-12 months to basically party, smoke weed and sleep with people in other countries. That is my takeaway.

No thank you, my kid is not interested.[/quote]

This seems like a very American perspective. While kids from affluent backgrounds certainly partake, I know many middle class European and British kids who are entirely self-funded. These kids grow up much more independent than Americans, and interailing and hostelling can be extremely affordable for kids who plan ahead. Travel within Europe is much more affordable than Americans might be used to, and trips to SE Asia and even Australia can also be done on a budget. American kids are much more likely to do a structured program like Where There Be Dragons or NOLS and nobody bats an eye, but maybe just accept that kids the same age as yours can plan affordable gap year adventures. Have a nice day![/quote]

DS worked for 4 months to fund the rest of his gap year.   I was pretty stoked when I tried to help him with plane tickets and travel arrangements and he said “No thanks, I’ve bought tickets and arranged housing.”   It made me much more confident that he’d succeed in college on the other side of the continent.  [/quote]

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