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among the Australians, British, Canadians, New Zealanders, Europeans and maybe others Gap Years are popular among the youth (17/18-26 year olds) . A gap year is typically taking a year off between finishing high school and before starting university/college and or after finishing university/college and before starting your career. Why aren't these popular in the States among the youth unlike in other countries??? any factors??? just wondered.
Because Americans admire a person working themselves until they are physically and/or mentally stressed to the point of having health issues.
I don't know how to say this without sounding presumptuous. But in the United States, everything is about the big league.
When you are an teenager, it is extremely competitive to get into the best university you can or the best college major you can. After you graduate from college, it is all about pursuing the highest paying career or continuing with the best graduate school you can get in.
Basically, there is no time or motivation for relaxing or taking it easy in your formative years. If you take a year off, then you fall behind your peers and everything gets delayed. Maybe it isn't like this or quite to this extent in most other countries.
Good explanation.
Looks like taking a gap year is mainly a British tradition, be it after School, College or University. Us Brits are natural explorers anyway. I personally took mine after College which is our junior & senior years.
I don't believe taking gap years is as common in other countries as you seem to think it is. I live in Canada and I have known a lot of people over many decades but I don't know a single one that has afforded their self the luxury of a gap year except for a rare few who were encouraged by wealthy parents and their wealthy parents were paying for all of it.
With regard to Americans, just taking a stab in the dark here but I'm guessing it's because so many Americans can't afford it. Partly for the reasons that BigCityDreamer just stated, that they can't afford to lose their edge and get left behind by the big league, ambitious, over-achieving, egotistical go-getters, but also because so many simply do not have the financial resources or encouragement to take some R&R time off for themselves for a year. Those ordinary Joe Blows who don't come from very wealthy families (which happens to be the majority, contrary to international myths about all Americans being wealthy and having best quality of life) are under pressure from their peers and paying parents or from other financers or sponsors or future employers to not delay, to get the hell on with it RIGHT NOW and contribute to society and not let their selves be accused by contemptuous, profiteering workaholics of being burdens on society and lazy lay-abouts.
Working Americans don't work to survive, they survive to work.
among the Australians, British, Canadians, New Zealanders, Europeans and maybe others Gap Years are popular among the youth (17/18-26 year olds) . A gap year is typically taking a year off between finishing high school and before starting university/college and or after finishing university/college and before starting your career. Why aren't these popular in the States among the youth unlike in other countries??? any factors??? just wondered.
Some parents don't support the idea. They think the kids will lose their momentum academically, if they take a year off between HS and university. The few who do take a gap year don't do it to bum around the world and have a vacation; they use it to get job experience, perhaps training in a field they're interested in, or to do public service, like Americorps.
Universities have become supportive of gap years, but place a priority on college applicants, who used the year to do an internship or contribute to their, or some other, community.
Last edited by Ruth4Truth; 11-18-2019 at 02:48 PM..
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The average undergraduate degree course is 3 years in the UK, and you go to medical school or dental school directly from School at 18 for 5 years on average. After which you become a Junior Doctor/Dentist and are payed to do foundation years and then train in a speciality.
I thought people in the US volunterred for the peace corps.
I have also seen US backpackers before in Europe, so some young Americans do take time out to travel.
It also should be noted that some US Universities and Colleges have campuses in Europe or exchange programs with Universities in Europe or further afield.
The average undergraduate degree course is 3 years in the UK, and you go to medical school or dental school directly from School at 18 for 5 years on average. After which you become a Junior Doctor/Dentist and are payed to do foundation years and then train in a speciality.
I thought people in the US volunterred for the peace corps.
I have also seen US backpackers before in Europe, so some young Americans do take time out to travel.
It also should be noted that some US Universities and Colleges have campuses in Europe or exchange programs with Universities in Europe or further afield.
The Peace Corps requires a college degree.
Yes, some young Americans travel. The thread topic, though, is about taking a gap year. Among the Americans who travel, probably most do so during summer break. Also, a lucky few manage to get jobs in Europe, or are on university-sponsored study programs, so some of the backpackers you're seeing, are people using their time off from wherever their home base is, to see other parts of Europe.
With the exorbitant cost of college tuition in the last 20 years, far fewer young people can afford to travel in Europe, even on a shoestring budget, compared to a couple of generations ago. Any money they'd spend on airfare to Europe and living expenses while there, needs to go to covering their living expenses at home during their studies. Fewer parents can afford to pay full tuition for 4 years, than before, so the students need to spend summers (as well as each academic year) working to cover tuition and living expenses. Even so, too many end up saddled with loan debt for decades after graduation.
Last edited by Ruth4Truth; 11-19-2019 at 11:38 AM..
Yes, some young Americans travel. The thread topic, though, is about taking a gap year. Among the Americans who travel, probably most do so during summer break. Also, a lucky few manage to get jobs in Europe, or are on university-sponsored study programs, so some of the backpackers you're seeing, are people using their time off from wherever their home base is, to see other parts of Europe.
With the exorbitant cost of college tuition in the last 20 years, far fewer young people can afford to travel in Europe, even on a shoestring budget, compared to a couple of generations ago. Any money they'd spend on airfare to Europe and living expenses while there, needs to go to covering their living expenses at home during their studies. Fewer parents can afford to pay full tuition for 4 years, than before, so the students need to spend summers (as well as each academic year) working to cover tuition and living expenses. Even so, too many end up saddled with loan debt for decades after graduation.
To be far the US has 300 million people and whenever you're dealing with that many people, people should speak for themselves.
While it's true the Peace Corps requires a college degree, there are Americans who say take two or more of years off their career after getting a bachelors degree to do Peace Corps work or some other NGO work in other countries.
Of course if you have family in other nations, it's easier to envision studying overseas. There are Americans who get their degrees from other countries.
Places like NYC or certain California with a lot of foreigners it's easier to imagine doing those things because people have lots of contact with foreigners.
There really isn't any one answer for a nation of 300 MILLION people on whether Americans take gap years.
I don't believe taking gap years is as common in other countries as you seem to think it is. I live in Canada and I have known a lot of people over many decades but I don't know a single one that has afforded their self the luxury of a gap year except for a rare few who were encouraged by wealthy parents and their wealthy parents were paying for all of it.
With regard to Americans, just taking a stab in the dark here but I'm guessing it's because so many Americans can't afford it. Partly for the reasons that BigCityDreamer just stated, that they can't afford to lose their edge and get left behind by the big league, ambitious, over-achieving, egotistical go-getters, but also because so many simply do not have the financial resources or encouragement to take some R&R time off for themselves for a year. Those ordinary Joe Blows who don't come from very wealthy families (which happens to be the majority, contrary to international myths about all Americans being wealthy and having best quality of life) are under pressure from their peers and paying parents or from other financers or sponsors or future employers to not delay, to get the hell on with it RIGHT NOW and contribute to society and not let their selves be accused by contemptuous, profiteering workaholics of being burdens on society and lazy lay-abouts.
Working Americans don't work to survive, they survive to work.
.
I can't agree with your last sentence, but everything else seems spot on.
The average undergraduate degree course is 3 years in the UK, and you go to medical school or dental school directly from School at 18 for 5 years on average. After which you become a Junior Doctor/Dentist and are payed to do foundation years and then train in a speciality.
I thought people in the US volunterred for the peace corps.
I have also seen US backpackers before in Europe, so some young Americans do take time out to travel.
It also should be noted that some US Universities and Colleges have campuses in Europe or exchange programs with Universities in Europe or further afield.
My brother went to Morocco for the Peace Corps in the 1970s. They didn't pay much, but it was enough to rent a hovel and eat. He also had enough money to travel by bus once in a while. He was an exchange student for one semester in college.
The average undergraduate degree course is 3 years in the UK, and you go to medical school or dental school directly from School at 18 for 5 years on average. After which you become a Junior Doctor/Dentist and are payed to do foundation years and then train in a speciality.
I thought people in the US volunterred for the peace corps.
I have also seen US backpackers before in Europe, so some young Americans do take time out to travel.
It also should be noted that some US Universities and Colleges have campuses in Europe or exchange programs with Universities in Europe or further afield.
Any prestigious university in America will have exchange programs with both European and Asian universities, and sometimes African and Latin American universities.
Religious groups often do missionary work overseas.
American students in high school will sometimes study abroad for a year.
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