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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]What are most kids doing during gap years? Are most of them really doing tours of Europe, or are they hanging out at home and working at the mall?[/quote]

I lived and studied in Austria for my gap year.  I was one of the younger kids in my grade and didn't want to start college as the "baby" (I would have turned 21 after college graduation).  I've never [b]known anyone to stay home and work at the mall for a gap year [/b]-- seems like a waste, no?  If my kid wanted to travel, I'd encourage him to get on LinkedIn and network to see if he can get internships in his field of interest.[/quote]

Well, perhaps you live in a bubble.  Some kids need the money.  They work to save up some money b/c their parents either aren't paying for college or are only contributing a minimal amount.  So they work for a year to save up some spending money.

Not everyone can afford to live in Austria for a year.[/quote]

Again, I haven't seen that happen.  The children I can think of who couldn't go to college due to financial constraints usually went somewhere on a big scholarship, or didn't go to college at all -- it wasn't a gap year and then go type of situation.  The ones who weren't well off enough to go without aid but not poor enough to not go had a difficult time, that's for sure.  I knew one guy who studied full-time and worked at a bar full-time, one girl who did the same but with EMT work.  None of them could have taken a gap year to work at the mall or kayak or whatever and forego their education, as they'd see gap years as a frivolous thing for the middle class and above (which they are, TBH).  And that was my point -- if you (read: your family) are in a financially secure position to take year off and "live your truth," working for minimum wage at the mall WOULD be a waste, when you could be doing so many more exciting things in your own backyard (volunteering, interning, taking courses in things like art/history/MMA, road tripping, whatever strikes your fancy).[/quote]

You live in a tiny, tiny bubble.  There are many kids who put off college for a year to earn money, or who take a year off to work during college, or who go part-time so they can continue working, because they don't have a generous 529 to count on.  It's becoming more the norm than the exception.  We just don't call it a "gap year" in those cases.  In any event, I would not consider it a "waste" if my kid wanted to work for a year before college, even at minimum wage. I'd consider it an excellent learning experience about the world of work and money.  [/quote]

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