The Gap Year - Is There Life Between High School and College?

What do you think about kids graduating from high school and taking a year off before going on to college? This gap year idea seems to be growing in popularity in the United States, though it has long been popular in Europe. In the U.S, we have traditionally rushed to get our kids to the next step and then the one after that without necessarily thinking if that next step is actually in the right direction. For many kids, a step off the beaten track might be just the thing to both open there eyes and ground them in reality.

Students are generally graduating high school at age 17 or 18. They move on to four years of college and even with a two year graduate program, they are ready to enter the career world at the tender age of 24. With life expectancy around 80 years, do we really need to rush in to a career so young? Can't our kids afford to take a little time off at the front end, rather than saving it all for the back end, in retirement? The benefits of a well spent gap year can potentially lead to a better, more fulfilling career choice as well as a broader perspective and appreciation for the world and for education.