By Nell Musolf
Special to The Free Press
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While many 18-year-olds are settling into college life for the first time, some are opting to take a different route after completing their first 12 years of schooling.
East High School guidance counselor Katie Ojanpa says that taking a year off — which is also known as a “gap year” — isn’t too common in Mankato, but it also isn’t unheard of. Every year at least a handful of students graduating from Mankato Public Schools decide not to go to college right away for a variety of reasons.
Ojanpa believes the gap year can be beneficial.
“It all depends on what they’re using it for,” Ojanpa says. “Some take a year off to build a resume and others take it off to earn money for college.”
Still others use the time to prepare for re-taking the ACT or SAT exams if they hope to increase their scores.
“Some kids are just trying to find themselves,” Ojanpa said.
Indeed, in the “old days” (think 1970s), the gap year was also known as “backpacking across Europe” in that elusive quest to find oneself along the way.
Nowadays, not everyone agrees on what a gap year is or when it’s taken. Generally, it’s the year after high school, although college graduates might choose to take a year off before going on to graduate school or diving into the workforce pool.
Jayda Robbin, who graduated from East this past June, is one student who is taking a post high school gap year. Robbin, who is spending her time juggling three different jobs, decided not to go to college this fall because she wasn’t sure if she was ready for it. Instead, she is working to make money and plans to attend a technical college in St. Cloud next year.
When asked how it felt not to be heading off to school this fall with her other classmates, Robbin says, “It’s kind of sad, actually.” But she is looking forward to starting school at a later date when she’s more prepared financially.
Kayla Hoehn is also postponing college. After watching an older sister go on to college, graduate and then be unable to find a position in the field her degree is in, Hoehn began having second thoughts about attending college.
She finally decided to skip college for now and start her own cleaning business with a friend. Hoehn has begun to do preliminary research on such business-related necessities like advertising and finding out how to get a tax identification number.
“I planned to go to college right after high school, but then I changed my mind,” Hoehn says. “I’m not so sure college is something for me.”
Hoehn recalls that whenever there were speakers at her school — especially during her senior year — the push was always toward going to college and getting a secondary degree. She isn’t quite so sure that she agrees with that stance, especially in today’s tight economy. While Hoehn hasn’t ruled out college completely, she plans to use the next year to take her time deciding what she wants to do and seeing what it’s like to be a small business owner.
Amanda Vaneps will be spending her gap year moving from Mankato to Iowa where her mother lives. She plans to attend Iowa State University but wants to work in Iowa for a year before starting school.
“I decided to wait a year so I could work and save money,” Vaneps said. She hopes to study graphic arts and photography.
For students (and parents) who like the idea of a gap year, there is no lack of alternatives. Books like “The Complete Guide to the Gap Year: The Best Things to do Between High School and College” list page after page of programs.
A gap year can be spent in volunteer service (AmeriCorps, Habitat for Humanity and others) here or abroad. There are cultural immersion programs, such as Adventure Ireland and the Southern France Youth Institute. There are also programs focused on adventure, language study, the outdoors, sports, even sailing.
The cost can vary widely. AmeriCorps gives members an allowance for living expenses and $5,350 to be put toward college. Programs sometimes provide housing and food. Scholarships are available for some gap year programs. But gap students typically have to pay to do volunteer work.
A gap year might end up costing just as much as, or more than, college. The important thing is to have a plan — and a backup plan. Students who are considering taking a gap year might want to secure a spot in college beforehand (they can always request a deferment), so if their gap program falls through, their entire year won’t be wasted.
McClatchy-Tribune News Service contributed to this report.
