I hear it’s common to go to Southeast Asia, Australia or South America for gap years. But what about the US?
To travel IN the US vs other countries, not to take a gap year overall
I’m assuming that you mean a gap year between high school graduation and starting college/university?
It is quite uncommon. People generally can’t afford it. Parents are not generally fond of the idea either, and encourage their children to start university right away. I think they worry that if their kids take a gap year, they might never go to university.
@Denny
I believe OP is asking about traveling in the US for their gap year.
@Denny
Yea, I knew a kid in HS who didn’t get into the college he wanted. He took a gap year to travel he never traveled and by the winter he was taking classes at the local CC.
I ran into his ex years later and she said he didn’t even finish CC.
Nothing against CC or traveling for a year but you have to be focused on what’s the next step and also most people can’t afford to take a year doing nothing.
Only if you have money.
Phoenix said:
Only if you have money.
There are options for work trades where people trade work for a place to live such as WWOOF.
Extremely rare.
Milo said:
Extremely rare.
Yeah I agree. American here. I’ve met exactly one person who did this, and it was in 2020; she didn’t want to start college in the COVID lockdowns. She didn’t gap to travel, she lived with her parents, and babysat when she could to earn money.
@Tan
I grew up in a wealthy area, like trust fund kids, and I don’t know anyone who did, the most was like a month in the summer.
Milo said:
Extremely rare.
how so?
Milo said:
Extremely rare.
how so?
Mainly it puts you behind in salary for a year. And almost no one can afford it. I couldn’t afford a month after I graduated high school and why would I just work for a year for minimum wage when I could just go to college and get a real job a year earlier? Since no one else does it, all your friends are a year ahead of you when you do show up. Colleges prob don’t care but socially and economically, it’s an issue.
Milo said:
Extremely rare.
how so?
Financially not feasible for most. If even going to college, culturally standard to start college immediately after high school.
Milo said:
Extremely rare.
how so?
Our healthcare is generally tied to employment, we don’t have paid leave from our jobs, etc. So, maybe the rich do, but the majority of Americans are not rich.
Never met anyone doing their gap year in the US.
It’s a terrible bet for uninsured people to come here (ie most young students) just due to the lack of affordable healthcare, or reciprocity with their home country.
The US is way more expensive and way more dull (to people from the US) than the other places you listed (except Australia, which is very similar).
Add in health insurance problems, the fact that you can’t drink until 21 (vs 18 in the other places listed) and extremely nervous parents, if kids are going to travel, they’re going to go to cheaper places, not the US.
Literally 1 in 100,000. People don’t do this regardless what you see on social media.
Unless you’re asking about a gap year to visit America? Which is technically what your question implies.
Mai said:
Literally 1 in 100,000. People don’t do this regardless what you see on social media.
Unless you’re asking about a gap year to visit America? Which is technically what your question implies.
The latter yes, sorry for my wording.
@Rayne
You 1000% need a car so I can’t imagine it’s financially feasible.