Are gap years common in the US?
Posted by UrMomDotCom666@reddit | AskAnAmerican | View on Reddit | 266 comments
i'm from the uk. at my uni, a 1/3 of students took a gap year before starting uni. this was for mostly travel and working (to save for travel). gap years after uni are also very popular. the destinations where people go to the most are south east asia or south america.
SupKilly@reddit
I took a gap two decades
Mezzylu@reddit
My "Gap Year" was 9 months working and picking up extra hours so I could afford to even start college. My car was the family's. We were broke. I started working at 16. Since I was 16 I haven't gone more than 6 months without at least a part time job (sometimes 2) and that gap was due to being a full time student.
The term "gap year" to me was synonymous with rich kids looking to party while everyone else sweats. I didn't get a passport til I was almost 40. Thankfully I've grown up and achieved a level of stability now, but nobody in my family or that I grew up with were in a position to ever consider something like a gap year. Either you work through college or you just work. Some of their kids now have been on a family trip before college for like a week if their parents were lucky job-wise, but that's it.
Well, or serve 4 years in the military so you can come out with GI Bill money. You get to travel at the risk of being killed or acquiring a disability so kind of a sad excuse for a gap year.
anclwar@reddit
No. Gap years were mostly people going off to the military or into the job market. Military folks would come out into civilian life around 22 unless they reenlisted or were on a career track, and they might or might not go to college from there. People who went straight into the job market sometimes went into a degree program to help get promotions or learn skills that could get them different work, but I know a few people that never bothered to go back to school once they got their high school diploma.
The only people I know who took "gap years" after college were struggling to find work after graduation and ended up in the gig economy.
You only get to do fun things with your time if you come from a well to do family. We don't have a culture here where you can tell a prospective employer that you took a year off to hike some mountains, particularly if you are young and green. Maybe when you're 50 and having a midlife crisis, but not at 22.
Kittenlovingsunshine@reddit
They are pretty uncommon, I don’t think anywhere near 1/3 of people take one. I think they are more likely if you are wealthy and have money to use that time to travel, although at the other end of the economic spectrum there are people who take a gap year to work and save to college, usually out of necessity. I think it would be nice if it were more common, honestly. I could have used a year on my own to get prepared to be more responsible in my first year of college.
LavenderPearlTea@reddit
Not very, unless your parents have money.
mtnviewguy@reddit
I wasn't afforded the opportunity to 'travel', so no 'gap year'. I only know a few that were affluent enough to enjoy a break between high school and college. It's not a thing.
ProfessionalCat7640@reddit
Gap years for travel only if you're rich.
PuppySnuggleTime@reddit
Yeah, for middle class, it usually translates to "I'm gonna fuck off or a year and then tell my parents I don't want to go to college. " lol
HonkHonkTootToot@reddit
Hey that's how I took a 15 year long gap year.
ProfessionalCat7640@reddit
Too right!
UrMomDotCom666@reddit (OP)
how expensive is it to travel around the US?
Anxious-Run-1454@reddit
If you are staying at hotels, pretty expensive. While a few cities do have them, hostels aren't nearly as common. And, most people taking gap years in the US aren't staying in the US, probably like 99% are going to Europe.
Big_Category3895@reddit
And with hotels, there's another practical issue - many hotels don't allow unaccompanied minors to check in.
binarycow@reddit
A gap year is usually after high school, yeah? Instead of the college freshman academic year?
The vast majority of folks wouldn't be a minor at that point.
FMLwtfDoID@reddit
A lot of hotels will not let someone under 21* check in unaccompanied.
nmj1013@reddit
I actually had a lot of trouble traveling in college too because some hotels had an age limit of 21. That and rental cars.
chipmunksocute@reddit
Yeah "gap year" would def imply international travel Id think its not a working thing. If it is work its not a "gap year" its just life.
Anxious-Run-1454@reddit
Closest thing I can think of is someone doing something like the Appalachian trail, but that's more a I'm doing this this summer kind of thing. Walking whole thing I guess would take around 6 months.
UrMomDotCom666@reddit (OP)
thus true, my cousins who are from america also went to europe.
Practical-Ordinary-6@reddit
That's the main thing. People are going to travel around the United States for a year (even though it would be great that's not the first idea that leaves to mind if you have a year to travel).
OwlCoffee@reddit
The US is HUGE, dude. Like way bigger than most people realize. Unless your dedicating multiple weeks you aren't driving from the east coast to the west coast.
Weeks of driving
In a terrible economy
Needing hotels.
And food.
And so, so much gas.
It's an amazing way to do it, but cheap it ain't.
UrMomDotCom666@reddit (OP)
yeah i get that. i've been to the US 15+ times. i know that's not the same as living there. but it is quite an expensive country. I'd say the UK is more expensive, but at least the travel tickets outside the uk are cheaper. I've flown to other countries for cheaper than i've got a train inside england. although it also depends how close you are to london.
Mite-o-Dan@reddit
Where did that money come from? In the US, most cant work until youre 16, but in a lot of states and major cities its hard to get a job unless you're 18. And any money you do earn just goes towards basic life things and food.
No teenager would barely earn enough for 2 small vacations...let alone for a whole year.
Rich kids in the US don't even do gap years because if you start college a year or two late or graduate a year or two late, youre looked down upon.
The only people to take a gap year dont call it that. They call it "I need money and took a job" or, "I was too dumb to get into a university."
Quirky-Invite7664@reddit
Or “I was lost and didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life”
That was me. I’m a doctor now, but I took the painful route to get there. And we had very little money, never took vacations growing up.
Mite-o-Dan@reddit
That was me...for about 2 months...before my parents starting charging me rent. My part time minimum wage job wasnt enough to cover my own parent's rent so I had to join the military.
Most parents, well, maybe a little more now compared to before, simply won't allow their kids to have a gap year.
Secure-Ad9780@reddit
You can go across the US by driving and camping. You can stock up on food when you hit groceries. Take a cooler, a sleeping bag, a two man tent, fold up cot, camping chair, bottled water, a gallon container of water for the dogs, dog kibble, some clothing. I did it for a month with two dogs, as a single woman in my 60s. I avoided interstates and found plenty of uninhabited places to pitch a tent and let the dogs run around. That trip I spent time in N Dakota, Montana, Idaho and Washington. It was Oct and I was spellbound by the long golden grasses in N Dakota, and the emptiness of Montana, antelope herds and elk. Those were states I've never been to aside from Seattle.
ProfessionalCat7640@reddit
Firstly, good for you! I'm not joking, that sounds fantastic! I'm not sure I'd be brave enough to go it alone mid 60's but having the dogs as travel companions would be helpful. That is really wonderful for you!
Being established in your 60's is a little different than being "green" and broke at 18. Life experience alone is going to be a major factor there. A lot more time to have padded the savings, hopefully some better insurance, hopefully being able to afford a more reliable vehicle, etc. You aren't "asking" anyone for permissions typically anymore in your 60's either. A lot of 18 year olds are still rather attached to their parents/families and to be fair I would be very nervous if my 18 yr old daughter was travelling alone around the country in uncharted areas because she is a little inexperienced. I'm saying this as a woman approaching 50 myself. I really think it's fantastic you did that!
Secure-Ad9780@reddit
The only way you gain experience is by having experiences. She needs to travel with a friend. I used to backpack around the country when I was in my late teens and early 20s with my friend L. For a while I was rock and fossil hunting and she was birdwatching, binoculars, counting birds, keeping notes. We survived on much less and had a lot of fun. We went from DC around CT and Vermont and Toronto, and northern Ontario, and the Adirondacks. L always seemed to find us a lake or river to bathe in. A couple years later I backpacked around Europe, camping, staying in hostels, looking at architecture, going to museums, picking grapes in southern France to buy a ticket home. A year later I escaped to S America. Sold or gave away everything in my apt, so I could roam for 6 mos. I had a passport, sleeping bag, hammock, and a whopping $400. My friend L met me in Columbia for a month and we went thru the jungle on horseback, exploring pre Columbian ruins, and she always picked great camping spots with a place to bathe. She's been a lifelong friend even though we're on opposite coasts. Seven years ago we spent a month driving around Italy. I've always enjoyed exploring different cultures, ancient ruins and civilizations.
Oh well, now I am old and have three dogs, 2 large 90lbs, one small 50 lb, so I can't drive around for a month with them, and they're too large to fly, so I take them up to my cabin in the mountains. They run after critters and I play ball with them.
ProfessionalCat7640@reddit
"The only way you gain experience is by having experiences." You are right, that is very true. And when we are in our late teens and early twenties, typically our body is stronger and more nimble than in our 50's or 60's. Having a friend (or two or three), some one to travel with makes a lot of difference too. Once there is a little group protection, I feel much better about it. But if you get too caught up in the possibilities, it's easy to get stuck. At some point you have to take a leap and just go.
OwlCoffee@reddit
What year did you last gas up? You think that's going to be a cheap roadtrip?
Secure-Ad9780@reddit
A lot cheaper than staying in hotels and eating in restaurants, or buying a plane ticket. You can go as far as you can afford.
JohnnyC300@reddit
It's not that. It probably doesn't cost a whole lot more to travel around and from the US to wherever than it does in the UK. It's waiting another year extra before you make money. It's having your parents support you for another year. And in this case, support you to travel around.
Sure it's enriching. But it costs money. It's like paying for another year of tuition and room and board. Part of what makes your gap years doable is that it costs little to attend universities in the UK. Parents are more likely to be able to afford it. In the US, the average cost of attendance in a state supported school, before financial aid, is around 40K per year (though to be fair, poor folk pay MUCH less than that). Add another 20-30K for a private school. Substract 10-15K if you attend a public school in your own state.
It's a big thing. The only people I knew who took a "gap year" were those who worked full time for a year or two to get enough money together to be able to attend university.
UrMomDotCom666@reddit (OP)
most people i know funded their own travels. like £3-5k. parents don't really fund for travels. i get that it's harder with american flight costs though. most people in the uk pay their own student loans as the costs are much much lower, although they're creeping up. nothing like america though. but it does still hurt knowing that my parents were basically paid to go to uni lol, with no costs from them.
Hungry-Notice7713@reddit
3-5k is a lot of money. Most Americans don't have that much saved at 18, and if they do, they're probably hoping to put it towards the cost of uni, moving out and getting an apartment, buying a car if they haven't already, etc.
Overall_Occasion_175@reddit
Most friend adults in the US don't have that much money saved.
Dangerous_Actuary176@reddit
This is objectively untrue.
https://www.experian.com/blogs/ask-experian/average-savings-by-age/
Overall_Occasion_175@reddit
Almost 60% of Americans can't afford an unexpected $1,000 expense. These numbers are highly highly skewed by the rich.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/saving-money-emergency-expenses-2025/
Overall_Occasion_175@reddit
Yeah this is a massive amount of money for a new high school grad. They're not going to have that unless they worked all through school and didn't spend any of that, or their parents are quite rich.
skaliton@reddit
it isn't just the traveling that is expensive. The US student loan problem is a huge thing to consider especially because you give up a lot of opportunity to play around for a year
Overall_Occasion_175@reddit
More expensive than traveling Europe for Europeans, that's for sure. Cars or planes are the only real answer. Plane tickets usually cost $300-$500 and most of the places you arrive at, you'd still a car.
But I've never heard of kids taking a gap year to travel the US. You either backpack around Europe or you work, and work can quickly become a cycle that's hard to break.
UrMomDotCom666@reddit (OP)
that's true, i went interrailing for a month after finishing school for £1000. the ticket was £250 although it would've been free if we were still part of the EU lol. around 1/4 did the same trip as me in my use group. i'd say like 80% did some sort of trip in europe (mainly spain, italy or greece) with their friends. i understand that it's harder with flight costs.
SeparateFly2361@reddit
I saw this movie “How to Have Sex” and these kids who had just taken their GCSEs flew to Crete unsupervised for a spring break party vacation. I was surprised and wondered how common that is in the UK. I can’t imagine a group of American 16 year olds flying internationally alone like that
wakywam@reddit
i think another big part of it is that university in the US is much more expensive. Most people can’t justify spending any money on traveling right before spending $20,000+ per year on tuition.
LiqdPT@reddit
My wife and I are going to take the train from Seattle to Chicago. It's a 48 hour train ride, so we're getting a roomette (small private room with chairs that become bunks at night, but not much else) for the trip. That's going to cost us $1900 for the 2 of us (does include meals).
Intercity train travel in much of the US (outside the NE corridor) is a novelty. Is slower and more expensive than a plane (I'm guessing I could fly to Chicago for 1/3 the price). It's faster, though likely still more expensive and less flexible than driving.
And the train leaves once a day. I can leave at 5:40pm. That's it.
RGG8810@reddit
Just did the Empire Builder in the opposite direction. But went to Portland instead of Seattle. Ridden Amtrak many times but this was my first in a roomette. Definitely a unique experience!
LiqdPT@reddit
Never ridden Amtrak (or Via in Canada). We're going to drive Rt 66, so starting in Chicago to LA. Train to Chicago, fly home from LA.
NASA_Orion@reddit
It’s not just about the cost to travel but also the opportunity cost in terms of career
xyzqwa@reddit
It's not, you can travel very cheaply as long as you have a car. Almost all Americans have a car, not sure what parallel reality the other people in here are living in.
Katsaj@reddit
Not that many 18 year olds have a car. And having a car may mean loan payments, and definitely means insurance payments, gas, and maintenance costs.
xyzqwa@reddit
One of the quintessential milestones is for a teenager is when they get their license and their first car. You're not speaking about a regular experience but a ln outlier because you also want to be pedantic.
Katsaj@reddit
According to the US Department of Transportation, fewer than 40% of people age 19 and under are licensed drivers. Presumably not all of them have their own cars.
https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policyinformation/statistics/2021/dl20.cfm
xyzqwa@reddit
Conveniently ignoring the fact that it jumps rapidly to 80% by age 20. Dude you must be high lol
Practical-Ordinary-6@reddit
Not for a year.
xyzqwa@reddit
Most don't but for a Summer I think that's pretty popular. The Summer road trip is a very American thing.
The idea travel at any length has to be expensive is what I was responding to, no need to be pedantic.
Practical-Ordinary-6@reddit
Point of the question was do people take it entire year off from college and that's what I'm referring to. They don't generally have the money to take an entire year off from college and travel around.
xyzqwa@reddit
Do you know how comment chains work or are you just bored?
Practical-Ordinary-6@reddit
If you add up that cheap for a year it's expensive. It's not just how much you could spend per day but it's how many days you're on the road so I stand by what I said. You're not going to travel cheaply enough even in the United States to last a year for most people.
xyzqwa@reddit
Don't care about your opinion, you're wrong + can't follow the thread properly
Practical-Ordinary-6@reddit
You do you but no one is traveling around cheaply for a year in the US for a gap year in a car or any other way.
Google gives a rough estimate of about $4,000 a month on the lower end for one person. That's $12,000 for the summer and about $30,000 for 8 months. Very few 18 year olds come out of high school with that kind of cash lying around to blow on a trip even for 3 months. I don't accept your premise that it's cheap for large periods of time. It's not.
smurphy8536@reddit
It can be very cheap to travel around the US if have the money for a car.
ProfessionalCat7640@reddit
The price of the car, maintenance, insurance, and gas are all very expensive.
smurphy8536@reddit
Rentals aren’t bad. It really depends on the trip planned
ProfessionalCat7640@reddit
A rental for an entire year? Huh. I'm going to be completely honest, I've never heard of someone renting a vehicle for a year but it sounds interesting. The closest thing I have heard to that is a two year lease. Also I recently looked up SUV's for a 10 day rental for a family to do a road trip; in our area we were looking at about $1500. That's just the cost of the vehicle; no gas and no insurance. That just doesn't seem cheap to me exactly but it is a larger vehicle.
smurphy8536@reddit
Yeah a year long rental is nuts. I got mixed up between “gap year” and road trip
ProfessionalCat7640@reddit
It kind of blew my mind wide open though, not gonna lie. Like I had not comprehended how that was an option before. And if money wasn't an actual thing for me, would I just rent cars all the time for long periods? Took me down a mental rabbit hole that I very much appreciated. Lol!
smurphy8536@reddit
It’s definitely an option! I did a really great trip around Utah in a 4 day rental car. That was with a lot of exploring/hiking. A good loop of the whole country is probably 3-4 weeks depending on your pace.
ProfessionalCat7640@reddit
There is something about traveling around, road tripping in a newer car that just feels good. And Utah, that's where the "Big Five" National parks are! Beautiful area! Sounds like an amazing time!
SabresBills69@reddit
if you have a functioning vehicle from your parents….
rach day you have gas+ food+ lodging. 500 miles is about $100 in gas with the high oil prices. Food per day..getting a hot lunch is about $18,:$23 for a hot dinner, $7 for snack food. Most hoteks have free breakfast, breakfast woukd be added cost. Some can have a light breakfast like a granola bar and/ or a banana/ apple . If you bring a cooler and regularly restock ice, you coukd by cold cut and bread for cheaper meals of sandwiches.
camping in some area coukd be very cheap, like $5 a night or less. Others with hot showers and laundry might be $25-$50 a night. Hoteks can be. $75-$150 a night
as for the gap year……
it’s probably more common to see this after college when you are 22-23 but still on parents health insurance until 25 can give you a chance to do some “ adventure” in the USA or in Europe. They might do part time work while they travel like work as a summer employee first a national park Or one of those tour company guides
alaskawolfjoe@reddit
If you are travelling, then you are not working.
So that usually means you're family is rich enough to pay your expenses.
megamanx4321@reddit
Everything is expensive in America
One_Advantage793@reddit
You can camp across the U.S. really cheaply. I did it post-uni, but I also worked through school, so I had a few hundred bucks, my old car and a pup tent with sleeping bag. I did kill my car, sell it in California to someone who wanted to make it a low rider and take busses back home. It is not at all common though.
caserock@reddit
I traveled around in a band, and slept in a tent at state/national parks all over the country for less than $10 a night, and sometimes free. It all depends on your standards!
my-hero-measure-zero@reddit
Very, because of cars and flights. On Southwest Airlines, San Antonio to New York is $550 or so round trip. Fuel prices have gone up. We don't have good rail (even in places with trains).
Dependent_Home4224@reddit
Our train system is an embarrassment.
ProfessionalCat7640@reddit
It can be very expensive and the transportation options are limited. The trouble is saving enough money to travel while also paying whatever current bills you have is a difficult thing to do, this is why many people in the US (but not all) live "pay check to pay check" meaning they are making just enough to live week to week. Options for sleeping/rest are also limited/expensive unless you are being taken in by relatives or sleeping in a tent in a national park.
pikkdogs@reddit
To travel for any length of time? You would have to be very very wealthy.
People often travel for a week or two, tops. But to travel for longer than that you would have to be very wealthy.
Prior-Soil@reddit
Way more than you expect. There are no cheap EasyJet flights, hostels are often in very dangerous areas of major cities, etc. I would say the least you could travel for is $50/day and that's doing almost nothing and camping, possibly in your car.
LivingGhost371@reddit
Enough that you probably don't have money to do it at 18. Although gas is cheap, that's offset by long distances and alternatives between primitive camping and $150 a night respectable hotels are scare
tropicsandcaffeine@reddit
Depends where you go. Certain places like New York is very expensive. Pacific northwest is expensive too. Other areas not so much but you need to save up to go on any trip.
SaoirseMayes@reddit
Not really, but most people taking a gap year to travel aren't staying in the US.
dasHeftinn@reddit
Anymore, pretty god damn.
ConsumerofGarlic@reddit
Depends on where you want to go, but airfare is way more expanse than in Europe.
Trinx_@reddit
Yeah when I brought up a gap year my mom shut that down real fast. We were upper middle class. Not "sure kid go live in European hostels for a year" rich
Cyber_Punk_87@reddit
Yeah, I graduated from high school a couple years early and wanted to take a year off before starting college. My parents shut that down entirely. Joke's on them, though, 'cause instead I dropped out after a year.
Mite-o-Dan@reddit
Rich kids dont even do that. Rich kids go to exclusive schools as fast as they can.
TomBombomb@reddit
I don't think I see it happen much. Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but university in the UK is largely three years, right? In the US it's mostly four years.
A "gap year" would have been wholly out of the picture for me. All I would have been able to do is work. We weren't in a financial position for me to travel or to head out and work for cheap while I work on myself. I needed to be in school or working full time.
UrMomDotCom666@reddit (OP)
yeah uni is 3 years here, scotland is 4 years but it includes a masters degree. i guess my age group are luckier in the uk as we had a child trust fund set up for us by the government, so we had a few thousand pounds for us when we turned 18.
movielass@reddit
Are you saying the money paid for you to go to school or you got money independently of that?
mrggy@reddit
I did my master's in Scotland. The 4th year in Scotland is not a master's degree. After 4 years the degree you get is called an "MA" but it's equivalent to a Bachelor's degree. If you want a Master's degree, you have to stay for a 5th year and do an MSc
madogvelkor@reddit
Masters is usually 2 years on top of the 4 for the bachelors. So 6 years total.
Folksma@reddit
My parents set up some type of college fund for when I was born
It got cashed out in 2008 lol
TomBombomb@reddit
Man, that would be amazing.
Notso_badhabits@reddit
Man I wish. They aren’t common but some people do drop out realizing things aren’t working out then come back when they can afford it more
rh681@reddit
I'd say it's far more common for someone to do a gap year if it means working and saving money, not a 365 day vacation.
royalhawk345@reddit
I don't know anyone who took a gap year. I grew up well off enough that everyone at my school went to college (except one guy who may have joined the marines), but not so rich that anyone's parents felt like funding a year of fucking around.
Queermagedd0n@reddit
Nope. For me it was either pay for college or move out. Both required getting employment immediately and there was no way in hell I was going to stay with my abusive parents.
Prestigious-Dog-2150@reddit
No, they're almost unheard of here. There are probably students who do it, but it's not a cultural phenomenon.
GreenBeanTM@reddit
If you’re wealthy maybe. If you take a gap year or a break year at any point you’ll lose a good chunk of financial aid options.
chaamdouthere@reddit
No.
ThoughtCharming8917@reddit
“Traditional” gap years—between the end of secondary school and first year of university—are rare for Americans excluding perhaps those from very wealthy backgrounds.
Our middle child took one and stayed with extended family in Norway (two 90 day visits with a 90 day gap between them). Wouldn’t have been possible except that he worked full time to save summer after high school graduation and came back to same job during the time between his two periods abroad. Along with free lodging from Norwegian relatives. And some frequent flier miles we kicked in.
He was admitted to university before he left but wanted to take a break from academics. Looking back he cherishes the experience, no surprise.
Apocalyptic0n3@reddit
Not really. It does happen, but the people suggesting it's 1/10 or 1/25 or even 1/50 of people are probably greatly overestimating it. I don't know a single person who did it. I knew a few people who worked for 2+ years in high school to save up for 1-2 week trip to Europe or Australia, and a few who studied abroad. But no gap years.
So traveling to Europe (anywhere overseas, really) can be prohibitively expensive for us. Latin American and South America are options, but are generally seen as unsafe, especially for Americans.
That leaves Canada and the US. We really don't have great public transit between cities outside of the Northeast Corridor so you need to drive/fly and those can get pricey (especially right now). Many of our cities are unique in some way, but I struggle to see the appeal of going city to city for months.
You noted hostels are popular for these students, but we have basically no hostels here. I know they exist, but they are few and far between and their reputation isn't great. So you're stuck with motels as your cheapest option and the quality there is often really poor. If you have a large network of friends, you can couch surf but you don't usually get that until college.
Also, most students need the money they'd spend on the gap year to pay for tuition or for living costs while in school.
marylander_@reddit
Not uncommon but nowhere near 1/3. Maybe 1/10. A lot of scholarships here are contingent on you starting immediatly after high school- and college is expensive here. I got a full ride that would have went to 0 funding if I took a gap sadly
Broad_Tie9383@reddit
Until the affordable care act, a gap in school enrollment meant losing eligibility for health insurance under your parent's policy. Surprised no one has brought it up, but I suspect it has had an outsized influence on the cultural expectations still. I was having health problems in college and would literally enroll and drop to keep my healthcare (was cheaper at the time) rather than take semesters off to deal with it.
ProfessionalCat7640@reddit
Yeah way less than 1/10, more like 1/50 or less even. You hear about this but it isn't common. I don't know anyone who has taken a gap year for a year of travel actually. Not when I graduated or my siblings or my now grown children. It's talked about but it's not really done.
shelwood46@reddit
I used to live in a rich area with lot of prep schools, and many of them had "post-grad" years, but it was basically for slightly dim rich kids to have a year of remedial studies to get their SATs up, or, rarely, to start college a year late for athletic reasons. I'm sure a few of them were rich enough to travel, but the expectation in the US even for rich kids is you get the summer between graduating high school to travel, and are back in time to start in the fall. Not a whole year. I do know a few who did the "year of travel" thing between graduating college and starting grad/law/med school, but again, rare.
Zaidswith@reddit
The gap for law and med school is often for test scores as well.
ParadoxicalFrog@reddit
Most people can't afford to travel, but some take time off and work while putting some thought into what they really want to do. I think it's becoming more common nowadays as Gen Z isn't pressured to go straight to college like Millennials were
PlaysWithSquirrels7@reddit
Same. I wanted to take a gap year but I couldn't postpone scholarships and financial aid. So it was go to school then or not at all. I'd say gap years are pretty uncommon, as I don't know a single person from the southern US who did a gap year. So I think it comes down to regional differences and probably also finances related to that for how common this is. Wish I had been able to though!!
Unrelated but I never got to study abroad either for similar reasons (would have delayed graduation, which I could not afford to do). So now I travel as much as I can to make up for all that!!
DependentSky1637@reddit
Yes, like a previous poster I got a merit scholarship at a good school (more lucky than smart) but had to start the fall after high school or would have lost it. Of course my father’s attitude toward a travel gap year…well, I laugh to think what his reaction would have been! 🤣
MrShake4@reddit
On the flip side some colleges will accept you for the spring semester and not the fall so I’ve seen a pseudo forced gap semester before.
marylander_@reddit
Oh interesting I've never seen that
Practical-Ordinary-6@reddit
Yeah, my guess is a fair number of Americans wouldn't even know what it means.
DependentSky1637@reddit
I thought maybe things had changed, but that was the same for me in the last century. I would liked a gap year.
Practical-Ordinary-6@reddit
This might reflect my personal experience but since I know absolutely no one who did that I seriously doubt it's anywhere near 10%.
DependentSky1637@reddit
Sounds right to me.
Agreeable-Sun368@reddit
I would say less than 1/10, more like 1/20. And most "gap years" are poor people working for 1-2 years to afford community college, not rich people traveling around. Most rich people matriculate immediately.
PriorSecurity9784@reddit
I know of a few upper middle class kids who did 3-4 weeks in the summer after high school to go with a friend to Europe, travel in hostels, etc. and then still go to university in the fall.
Probably cost in the range of $4000-5000, so not obscene by US standards if they had some part time job money, graduation money, etc saved up.
In general, delaying college a whole year is often seen as a kind of a risk of “getting off track” with timing, and most people are saving every penny they have for university costs vs taking a trip.
There can be a fairly wide spread of ages graduating though. The youngest grads might be turning 18 the summer after high school, while others could have tuned 18 up to 12-18 months earlier, depending if they were held back or “red shirted” which has gotten more popular, especially for boys.
I do wonder if taking a gap year is slightly more popular for the younger cohort
Guchupuchu@reddit
I met about 10-15 English lads on my solo backpacking trip to SE Asia. They said 25% of people take gap years. Also theres a huge trend of young people leaving England because of weather, taxes, inflation, Islam and cost of living crisis, they are of the opinion that a pound goes much further in Thailand and Vietnam, they can live like kings while working remotely even in shitty roles like social media marketing.
Brave_Hamster_7219@reddit
If you're rich its not uncommon to take a gap year for travel. If you aren't rich you might take one to work before starting school for financial reasons or for various family reasons (one of my siblings took a gap year to functionally provide hospice care to my grandad)
Embarrassed_Bag_9630@reddit
Gap yahh
papercranium@reddit
Not very common, but not unusual either. I did Americorps (federally funded community service) for a gap year after high school, but I was the only one in my graduating class of ~300 students who didn't go directly into the workforce or higher education. I know folks who've used a gap year to do a thru-hike of one of our three most famous trails, do a year of religious service, serve in Americorps/Conservation Corps/Peace Corps (a two year commitment and only for college grads), or study to bring their test scores up so they could re-apply to a better university that had rejected them.
I definitely think it's more common now than it used to be, it was seen as kind of shameful when I took a gap year.
Traditional-Let9530@reddit
Yeah, but not nearly as common or normalized as in the UK or parts of Europe. In the US, a lot of people go straight from high school to college because there’s pressure to “stay on track” academically.
wapera@reddit
The only kid I know from my school who did a gap year was a rich kid and he went to go volunteer in a Third World country and once he came back he went to a massive expensive university bc of course he could.
Gap years are not that common I think because it’s expensive. we don’t have the ability to easily travel across the us like Europeans can in Europe bc transport is expensive, we don’t have high speed trains, and hostels aren’t common.
There’s also a social dimension. Doing a gap year is a huge cost socially. the average 18 year-old at that time of their life is so focused on doing life in the order that society is expecting us to do, but also to make sure that we’re still on the same pace as our peers.
There is a fear of being behind our peers. the fear of not doing the college parties and Greek life and that normal thing that’s expected of us is scary. You’re constantly comparing yourself with what you see them doing online. So you’ll see all of your friends graduating and starting their careers when you’re still in school because you did a gap year. You are behind.
I know it’s stupid but this is legitimately all I thought about when I was 18. I WISH my 18 year old self didn’t care about those people because ultimately they don’t matter anymore.
thisislyncanthropy@reddit
Regular people here take gap years to work lmaooo 😭😭😭
Sad_Opportunity_5128@reddit
I loved my gap year so much I took 5 more before starting college
amcjkelly@reddit
No, the vast majority of students do not do a gap year to travel. Some may take a break to work. But, that is how they would say it. That has never really been a thing here.
If I had asked my parents about a gap year to travel, my dad would have said "who the hell do you think you are, a Rockefeller!" He often said that when he thought I was wasting money. Lol
Honestly, if you went for a job interview at our agency, saying you went traveling for a year is not going to win you points either... unless you are helping people in some way while doing it.
Some very wealthy kids do go traveling while in school, but not for a year.
Mediocre_Daikon6935@reddit
No
iampatmanbeyond@reddit
Boss we dont have safety nets or work life balance here. If you arent rich a gap year never ends
LittleSquishOne@reddit
Also throw in why it's not common outside of the cost of travel, is that student loan repayment would kick in after 6 months off. So unless you're paying your costs yourself, it's not really doable for most folks. You'd have to make 6 months worth of payments before they are differed when you re-enroll.
BooksBootsBikesBeer@reddit
Gap years usually refer to time off before university, not after.
LittleSquishOne@reddit
OP mentioned after too
LynnSeattle@reddit
At my child’s high school graduation this evening, 3 out of 140 students are taking a gap year.
cownan@reddit
I never knew anyone who took one. I knew some people who didn't start right away but they were kind of the slacker type and usually didn't finish their degree
Sc00by101@reddit
Traveling for a year is unheard of. Vacationing for a week or more is what is the norm.
SummitJunkie7@reddit
Not unheard of, but not nearly as common as they are in Europe from what I gather.
AdelleDeWitt@reddit
Nope. I think of it as European thing.
IReplyWithLebowski@reddit
And Australian
interactivate@reddit
TBH, anywhere that doesn't require relentless grind from childhood to old folks' home just to keep your head above water.
I think we underestimate how rough the average American has it. Yes there are lots of very rich people but the average worker can be fired at will, and a routine medical procedure can bankrupt them. It really looks like life on a cliff edge from the outside.
AdelleDeWitt@reddit
It is!
PrimaryHighlight5617@reddit
TIL most people don't consider working a job to save up for tuition a "gap year
Prince705@reddit
Gap years are usually taken by people who are either wealthy or planning on attending community college first. Unfortunately the university system isn't very accommodating to gap years for the average person.
ColumbiaWahoo@reddit
Very rare. They’re super expensive and you’ll forget what you learned in high school over that year. Most engineering programs have you start with calc 3 on day 1 and you definitely don’t want to be rusty on your high school math once that starts.
Beginning-Bedroom-89@reddit
I took a gap year(well years actually) but it wasn’t to vacation and travel. It was so I can commit to working and saving up money so I wouldn’t struggle as much in uni.
Alternative-Being181@reddit
Yes, but this is because of growing up in an upper middle class environment. What was more common amongst my crowd was finishing college, and then traveling - my dad did the same after grad school. A popular way to do it inexpensively and for longer is to work part time on a farm in an interesting area to travel to. Things like hostel and glamping were far more common than, for eg staying in hotels.
somecow@reddit
No. You’re pressured to go to college IMMEDIATELY after high school. “Yes, go decide your entire life’s future without knowing shit about the outside world, or knowing what you want to do”. Fuck. Even asked my parents if I could have a gap year, as with any other reasonable well thought out request, they said NO.
It ruined my life. Thankfully paid off the loans, but that was money that I could have used for things like life.
tracygee@reddit
There not unheard of for rich people, but in general - no.
sikon024@reddit
Gap years in the US are to work a shit job and re-enforce why you want to go to college to begin with.
-Source: did 2
BoBoBearDev@reddit
Idk, not in my circle. My circle is first gen immigrant, we got no time to chill.
audiojanet@reddit
Nope
Ta_mere6969@reddit
Old guy here.
I did a gap 2 years, maybe 3 depending how you counted.
What I did:
When I came back from the trip, I was ready for school, ripped right through it.
Khilaya93@reddit
I did it and it was a mistake. I didn't know what to study, so I decided to work for a year instead, but when I tried to go back I found out the hard way there are no scholarships for gap year students. It's a messed up system.
LetterheadClassic306@reddit
That’s a fair one, i had to think through it before studying abroad too. In the US, gap years are noticeable in some schools and communities but not a universal standard, and the pattern shifts a lot by family budget, state, and program type. A lot of students use that year for travel or short work stints, while others skip it because scholarships and housing pressure force a fast transition into college. If you want to compare countries, it helps to separate three things: how often the gap is expected, how it affects admissions, and how much it changes costs for the family. Checking school guidance pages, alumni posts, and local visa timelines usually gives a cleaner read than internet anecdotes. I’d put that framing first and the opinion split second if you are trying to plan your own path.
jackofspades49@reddit
Not really. That's a rich person thing.
AdamoMeFecit@reddit
Rich kids take gap years. Rich kids also ‘do’ unpaid internships.
turdferguson3891@reddit
I don't know a single person who has. The closest we have is kids with the money might do a big summer trip to Europe before they start college. Some kids choose to just start working full time to make money first but that's not really the same thing. Once in school, sememster abroad programs are more common but then you are still in school and getting credits towards your degree.
SelectionFar8145@reddit
They used to be, but most people can't really afford to do anything worth taking a gap year off for. Most likely, if someone isn't immediately going from high school to college, they don't plan on going for any higher education. Or, perhaps, they want to get a job & save up their own money to do it first.
Bootmacher@reddit
It's more common during college, I think. I took one after college and before law school that turned into three years. My brother took a gap year between his 2nd and 3rd years of college that became five until our mom complained to me and I threatened to make him go to a school to learn to shear sheep.
onlyreason4u@reddit
Nobody does a gap year in the US. The average 4-year university, with room and board, costs ~$25-30k a year. If you were one of the minority who had parents who paid fully for it then they aren't likely aren't eager to also fund a year-long vacation. If you are paying for school, either partly or fully then you are working when you aren't in school. Some people end up taking well over 4 years to complete a degree because they are only able to afford to go part-time. There are loans available to everyone and scholarships for those with high achievement or financial hardships but nobody wants debt having over them when they are trying to start their life, buy a house, start a family etc.
Life is expensive here and being poor sucks hard in the US, so we work. That said for those of us with a good job we make a shit ton more than you do in the UK. Per capita we are a lot richer, houses are way bigger, we have more disposable income. I love Europe, my inlaws all live there and I've spent time living with them, but I just couldn't do it. Travel options are great, there are some things they do better than the US, but everything else would feel like a downgrade.
PrimaryHighlight5617@reddit
A good portion of people I know took a gap years. Including me!
Of the people that took Gap years most of them were doing what I did... Not traveling.
We were working jobs deciding whether to go to community college or go into debt for a large University. We were getting some independence and a feel for who we are when in a new environment.
I did go on a couple trips, but that was to visit my grandma for a couple months who lives in the same state as me. I wouldn't call that travel.
Prestigious-Talk1112@reddit
I think that some very wealthy people may take gap years especially if they know what college they are going to and they have a planned out path but it snot super common to plan to take a year off before starting school. Some people struggling to have money for college may do it but that would be more of an " I need to save more money for school" instead of a real gap year type situation.
So basically it's not very common.
asiangunner@reddit
Sounds like a rich kid thing. Went to college in the mid to late 1990s. I grew up as a upper middle class private school kid with other kids with the same background. No one I knew did a gap year. Gap year for us was flunking out your freshman year at University and going to Junior college.
Alert-Painting1164@reddit
OP is making stats up. No way does 1/3 of uk students take a gap year to travel. Yes it’s more common in the uk but nowhere near 1/3.
UrMomDotCom666@reddit (OP)
at my university it is.
Alert-Painting1164@reddit
Still doubt it’s a 1/3 - might be a 1/3 of people you know but even at oxbridge doubt it’s a 1/3.
UrMomDotCom666@reddit (OP)
oxbridge it's probably more because many take a gap year to reapply. but my uni is 1/3 gap year. there are unis with more gap year uni students anyway, like bristol or durham for example, which are outside of oxbridge.
Haluszki@reddit
I took 10 gap years because I couldn’t afford college until I was in my late 20s!
In that time, I learned the world of produce, how to be a meat cutter, and Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration.
It was a rich cultural experience full of growth and learning!
BlueWater2323@reddit
Sounds like you have some stories!
Significant-Pen-1595@reddit
How do you folks from the UK afford to travel like that for a whole year? Do you work side jobs while you travel? Do your parents help out? I know hostels are relatively inexpensive and train/airfare in europe isnt too bad, but food and drink expenses add up and the opportunity cost of not working is quite high.
UrMomDotCom666@reddit (OP)
interrailing (train travelling after school or during uni breaks around europe) is more of a quick thing. also if you are part of the EU, you get that ticket for free. long travels like asia or south america are normally funded by working or some sort of trust fund. even those with a trust fund normally work something in retail to fund their travels. barely any parents fund it. basically, you work for a few months then travel for a few months.
Rosesandbubblegum@reddit
How do you afford rent and stuff if your money goes to traveling? Do you stay with your parents? I'm not trying to be rude, I'm just curious
UrMomDotCom666@reddit (OP)
you stay at hostels mostly, hotels if you get good deals. you don't have any at home rent because you live with your parents. south east asia for example, you only need £1000-1500 per month all expenses included. most spend a few months working to save £5-7k then go with that.
Significant-Pen-1595@reddit
That's nice. Yeah not super common here in the states. Low income jobs barely cover anything beyond basic essentials here.
IReplyWithLebowski@reddit
In Australia in the early 2000’s, I worked for a year, saved up 10k, and went round SE Asia for 6 months. Cost of living increases may not make that viable now tho.
Zaidswith@reddit
Rare unless you come from money.
It's not sustainable for kids on scholarships.
Technical-Tear5841@reddit
I am older, only 20% of high school graduates were able to go to college. Many males who did not go to college got drafted, yay me.
sgtm7@reddit
I am older also. Not as old as you(there was no draft). Last time I did a search, around 45% of high school graduates went directly to college, back when I graduated high school. In my opinion, too many go to college right after high school. Not everyone should go to college right after high school(or at all). I would love to see the USA do something similar to how Germany does it.
shelwood46@reddit
Eh, I don't know about making 11 year olds decide whether they will ever go to college. I like that our system gives you flexibility, especially for people who get degrees later in life. No one forced them not to go to trade school or get a job (unlike my ex, who had a full scholarship to Princeton and his father made him be a plumber instead).
sgtm7@reddit
I have no problem with that. I had decided when I was 12 years old that I was going to join the military and stay twenty years until retirement. And that is exactly what I did.
The German system also has flexibility. You do not strictly need traditional high school A-levels to attend college in Germany. Adults can qualify for university admission through vocational experience: They can also go later in life, and go part time while working. So not much different from the US in that aspect. Major difference is that in Germany most public universities are free, or at most have a small fee.
Memasefni@reddit
I took a year but I was working.
We couldn’t afford a week, much less a year, of travel.
Alarming-Chemistry27@reddit
It means your parents are exceptionally wealthy in the states. It's extremely uncommon in my experience. I didn't know anyone who did this and didn't even learn about it until I was in my 30s.
UrMomDotCom666@reddit (OP)
Do people not work for their own travel?
Alarming-Chemistry27@reddit
They do, but we travel for a week or 2, not an entire year off with no work and no school.
Secure-Ad9780@reddit
In the US students don't need gap years. The majority take 6 yrs to finish a 4 yr degree.
Due-Emu-4291@reddit
In the U.S. there's the expectation that you'll start college right after high school, and the belief that if you start working and earning an income you won't go back to school full time.
In the 1960s I heard stories about young people taking a year off to tour Europe or whatever to "find themselves" but I don't think it was all that common.
spitfire451@reddit
Only for independently wealthy families. I didn't know anyone who did this.
ConsumerofGarlic@reddit
Not very common, but I think mission trips may be far more common in the US.
Overall_Occasion_175@reddit
Being religious enough fit that is highly HIGHLY unusual in many parts of the country. That would straight up freak me out and turn me off instantly of any person who told me that in New England.
Joe_B_Likes_Tacos@reddit
It is standard for Mormons. I worked for a company that hired a lot of kids out of BYU. They were some of the best new hires. That extra year added a good bit of maturity compared to other hires. Plus they were all married already and did not drink...making them great employees.
Brennisth@reddit
Certainly in Utah!
Danibear285@reddit
A “gap year” involves the person going back to school after a set point in time.
It’s very difficult to go from full time work/travel to full time student.
UrMomDotCom666@reddit (OP)
i get that it's different in america, but a year break in europe doesn't really affect employment for your future career.
anneofgraygardens@reddit
it's not that affects your career, it's that people working and making money are not likely to quit and go back to school.
myotheroneders@reddit
I'd say only if you're rich. The vast majority of people, if they can afford to go to college, they do so right away because they aren't wealthy enough to just not do anything for a year. Most people are still living with their parents and it's considered lazy to not either go right to college/trade school or get a full time job. Only rich people have the luxury of living like that. If people want to travel, it's very expensive. Spending a lot of time traveling usually requires a high paying job. Most people can barely afford the basics of food and paying rent.
Electrical-Quarter96@reddit
Not really, for most people it’s either jumping straight into the workforce, go to university, or join the military (mostly for men). I didn’t take a gap year, I went to university when the summer break ended
Traditional_wolf_007@reddit
I don't think I've ever met someone who took a gap year, unless it was solely to work. People graduating from my school all either went to college, immediately got a job (most of them honestly), joined the military, or some combination thereof.
jtfjtf@reddit
No. People go to school immediately. Though the first year may as well be a gap year depending on your major.
pinaple_cheese_girl@reddit
Not really. It’s not common, but it’s not unheard of. You’d need a lot of money to travel, so most of the gap year would be working & saving.
Loud_Inspector_9782@reddit
Not really. Everyone I knew who graduated from high school went to college or to work that fall.
LightAnubis@reddit
Gap years are not common unless you’re rich.
Traditional_Trust418@reddit
Gap years are popular, but only the rich travel on their gap year. Most people I know who took a gap year did it so they could save up money and not go into debt or into as bad of debt
RedditSkippy@reddit
They were basically unknown for people I knew growing up, but I grew up in a lower middle class/working class area. People didn’t have the spare income to let their kids do fuck all for a year. I I knew one classmate who, I think, did a year in prep school after high school because he wanted to play baseball (I am not clear if I remember this correctly.) School, work, or the military were your options.
When I moved to NYC, I knew a couple of families where a kid was doing a “gap year.” Basically in both instances, from what I saw, it was a year after high school to get your 💩 together so some college would accept you the next year.
adamsandleryabish@reddit
I have taken dozens of gap years since High School and definitely a fan!
Darryl_Lict@reddit
The closest thing to a gap year stateside is backpacking in Europe after college graduation. Most of my college friends were middle class and back then people were able to scrounge up the money for a Eurailpass and hostels or camping. Most were able to pull it off for 3 months or so.
These days, travel is more expensive and school and living in general is costly, so you have to be a bit more affluent to take off for 3 months.
Fun_Machine7346@reddit
No
VespaRed@reddit
Not among the average state school students.
UrMomDotCom666@reddit (OP)
that's true. gap years are commonly known as a private school trope lol. and my uni is 40% private schoolers, so the numbers are skewed. especially in russell group unis in general.
Overall_Occasion_175@reddit
So yeah, it's a rich kid thing on both places then.
UrMomDotCom666@reddit (OP)
sure but in the uk at least, there's still a bunch of people taking gap years just to work. it's quite a common thing to do.
Overall_Occasion_175@reddit
Unless you can keep living at home, once you start working, you get trapped in a cycle and can't stop to go to college.
UrMomDotCom666@reddit (OP)
fair enough, most gap year students here are still living with their parents with minimal expenses.
capsrock02@reddit
If you have a bunch of money
miketugboat@reddit
Not common but not unheard of. I would say generally uncommon for the college attending group. There's a niche group of kids able to afford it before they go into a trade or join the military, but most going into college want to go with their friends or be the same age as their peers.
WinterRevolutionary6@reddit
There’s definitely a stigma that if you don’t go straight into college after HS, you’ll lose motivation and never go. It’s not very common as I’ve seen. I think I know only a handful of people who didn’t go to college straight away and more than half of them ended up not going to college
geaddaddy@reddit
They are not nearly so common, but they happen. Maybe a couple of percent of students, at most
Practical-Ordinary-6@reddit
For what it's worth Google says 2 to 3%. I believe it.
geaddaddy@reddit
OK, I was kind of guessing but that is probably right
leesainmi@reddit
Yes, lots of my daughter’s (20 yo) friends took a gap year.
Mereeuh@reddit
Not very common. I took a year off because I got deferred admission (had to start spring semester instead of fall) to my first pick university because I applied too late. So I just took the whole year off. I can't tell you how many people said I wouldn't actually go just because I took a year off.
Yeah, I spent that year working at a Blockbuster and living with my parents. I was ecstatic when it came time to move to campus.
Plastic-Sentence9429@reddit
In my experience they are becoming more common. My younger son is taking one to practice his instrument (hehe) in the hope of getting into a conservatory. I graduated high school in 1989, and one person in a (small) class of 104 didn't go to college right away, but said they were going to start their own business. I've had two kids graduate HS in the last few years, and I see a bunch of their classmates taking gap years, both because I've spoken to them, or I've been at presentation ceremonies when "future plans" were announced.
I'd say 5-10%, very anecdotally.
Maxtro312@reddit
So what do they do? Do they really travel for a whole year without working?
UrMomDotCom666@reddit (OP)
most work for a few months then use that money to travel for a few months.
OrthodoxAnarchoMom@reddit
I suppose some people involuntarily take a gap year after college.
People in my tax bracket don’t take a gap year before college. Before you get your job qualifications you won’t be saving much in fact you’ll be lucky to cover your living expenses.
Working_Cucumber_437@reddit
I don’t know anyone who has done this. Too expensive. It’s basically not working for a whole year while traveling and supporting yourself somehow.
SpiceEarl@reddit
Only a very small number of American students take off a gap year. One of the things you need to remember is that colleges and universities are much more expensive in the US, than in Europe. Much of the burden falls on parents to pay out of pocket or, students themselves taking out loans. In the case of the former, many parents would not be happy if their son or daughter spent all of their savings on a gap year of travel, while expecting the parents to pay for university. In the case of the latter, most students try to minimize the loans they take out and will use any savings they have to pay for university, rather than spending it on a year of travel.
Eric848448@reddit
It’s quite rare.
K_N0RRIS@reddit
not as common as it used to be. university annual tuition here is extemely expensive in comparison to any country in Europe. A quick google says the average US tuition can be anywhere from 8 - 35k Euros per year. Our Universities or colleges are NOT free. So if you take time off, youre just causing your tuition to be more expensive because tuition never goes down over time. And most scholarships are contingent upon you enrolling in University immeadiately after graduating high school. There aren't many bachelors scholarship programs offered to those who have been out of high school longer than a year, so you can't just hold onto a scholarship if offered one, they just give it to someone else.
manicpixidreamgirl04@reddit
No, but the first year of college is almost like a gap year because we're allowed to take a bunch of completely random classes that are unrelated to what we end up majoring in. My college offered freshman a class about the history of bread.
Agreeable-Sun368@reddit
No. Some people take a break between high school and college to work but it's usually because they are poor. A lot of people who go to grad school work a job or do a post bacc or something for 1-3 years before applying to and attending grad school, but that really depends on the field and again, how rich that person is. People who do gap years and travel are usually rich but it's really not common in that demographic. I would say most wealthy people immediately matriculate to college, do cool travel and internships in college, and then maybe have their big travel trip post college graduation in the summer before they start their new job/graduate program.
I grew up wealthy and no one at my high school did a gap year. My one friend started culinary school in January after we graduated so she was still at home for a while but she didn't travel because she had no friends to travel with because we were all at college lol. She traveled to visit us at our colleges and her mom made her take some community college classes. The only person I know who did a gap year was my cousin who is from a medium income family. She went to work on different farms around the country. She was considered super weird for doing this and got a lot of instagram followers for it.
GlobalTapeHead@reddit
Not too common here in America but they do happen. I took a gap year but it was just to work.
bachintheforest@reddit
Definitely heard of people doing it but I don’t think anyone I know actually did. Although, taking a little time off after having already started college is done sometimes. Your style of gap year between high school and college seems to be kinda discouraged here, but on the other hand I do know people who have perhaps taken a semester or two off as a college junior or whatever and then resumed later. I even have a friend who took multiple years off then went back to school when he was like 28. I wouldn’t say that’s necessarily a common occurrence of course, but as you probably know it can be difficult to live here and sometimes you need to put things on hold. The real challenge is going back to school after having stopped going. I recall being told that as a high schooler and that’s specifically why they told us to be wary of gap years.
sneezhousing@reddit
Really onky rich or upper middle class do it. If they take a year it's to work for school not to travel
BooeyBrown@reddit
Not unless you’re wealthy and go overseas, or are willing to work short-term service jobs while traveling the States.
Hoopajoops@reddit
I took 4 gap years as I figured out what I wanted to do with my life and I'm glad I did
mattyofurniture@reddit
Many Americans continue higher education without a break after high school, or they transition directly to work. “Gap years” are fairly uncommon and unaffordable, unless the kids come from wealthy families.
Prior-Soil@reddit
I literally know of one person who did it and that was because her father committed suicide right before she graduated from high school and she had a breakdown. But then she went to work as an au pair in Europe. But travel for fun for a year? I don't know anybody.
People that take gap years aren't traveling after the university, they're usually applying for graduate school because they didn't get in on the first round or they're missing things like volunteer hours to make them a competitive applicant.
My husband's family is from Europe and I can tell you that overall travel is much more important to people in Europe. Many Americans are lucky to get 2 weeks of vacation time per year, so after you visit family, there's almost nothing left. Many people add on a few days when they travel for work.
archedhighbrow@reddit
My daughter did gap at a college in another state. She's now in nursing school.
xyzqwa@reddit
I don't think it's common but it definitely happens. I know people who took a gap after working for several years, that seems more practical since you have money then.
OyG5xOxGNK@reddit
Went from school to summer job to uni. I can't imagine affording it otherwise. Can't say I know what the norm is though.
Mysterious-Web-8788@reddit
It's not rare. It's usually associated with people that can enjoy generational wealth but it's not always the case, I don't really like that stereotype.
If you travel to the right spots in Central America you'll find hostels full of 18-22 year olds backpacking around.
It's not rare, but not nearly as common as the 1/3 you're describing.
UrMomDotCom666@reddit (OP)
yeah most people i know took a gap year before or after uni, mainly to go travelling. my cousins who are from america also took a gap year after uni, travelling around western europe. but that was kind of easier as we have family over here and they basically got free accommodation lol.
jhewitt127@reddit
I only knew one person in my year who didn’t go straight to college. But it was a small class.
Fun_Committee1478@reddit
No. I’ve never met any American who was able to do a gap year.
Background-Cod-7035@reddit
They happen, but I don’t know at what percentage. Certain universities also allow it midway through, I myself did one between sophomore and junior year. And no it is not just for rich people. I worked and saved up for the final two years of college.
B_O_A_H@reddit
Gap years aren’t unheard of but they’re definitely not common. I’d say many that do take gap years get lazy and never end up going to school after all.
BreadfruitRegular631@reddit
Our version of time off from education before it's complete is generally referred to as 'working to save some money' or "fcking around for a while' not gap year.
Meekanado@reddit
A gap year is good in the States if you want to go to a school in another state but want in-state tuition. I mean, travel and all that but keep your address in your favorite school’s location.
StupidLemonEater@reddit
They're not unheard of, but very uncommon. Definitely something I'd associate with the idle rich.
mburucuja@reddit
No, unless you’re very wealthy or doing something very unique. Travel is much more expensive, wages (in low wage jobs) are much lower, and university studies are much more expensive and complicated to fund than in many Western European countries.
Scholarship and financial aid offers can’t always be deferred, and most people are mostly (or entirely) depending on those to be able to study.
I knew a lot of working class and poor classmates who “took a year or two off” to work and save money “between” high school and college (uni) and can definitely count on one hand the number that ever actually went to school 15+ years later.
pikkdogs@reddit
It would be weird I think. You are expected to start your next phase of your life.
I’ve heard a person or two do it, but it’s not common I don’t think.
breaststroker42@reddit
Its only a rich people thing
invisibleman13000@reddit
Everything I can find from a quick Google search says the number is students who take a gap year is anywhere from 40,000 to 60,000 students, which only makes up 2% to 3% of highschool graduates.
It seems like it's becoming more common, but it's still a relatively small percentage of students each year.
Minimalistmacrophage@reddit
Gap years are generally for rich/upper middle class and poor people (usually to work, though some travel). Otherwise not really.
DachshundNursery@reddit
Not common. I took a couple years to work and travel after HS and people think it's weird.
TheBimpo@reddit
No, they’re rare. Rich kids, basically no one else.
StandardAd239@reddit
We live in a capitalist hell hole that rewards giving up your life to labor as opposed to, you know, living life.
In other words, not only is it not common but you're shamed if you dare even mention the idea.
HumboldtHunnyBear@reddit
The only people I know who left the country and took a gap year went on an exchange program. One of them is at Harvard now.
Penguin_Life_Now@reddit
They are far less common as many scholarships given to high school graduates must be immediately used or else they are lost.
Specific_Visit2494@reddit
Everyone would take a gap year if they had the money.
FoxxtrotOwO@reddit
I'm taking one but I'm the only top student at my school who is
EEJams@reddit
I did not, but it's probably a good choice. If I had, I probably would have regretted it. But I didn't and theres a tiny part of me that still regrets it lol. Damned if you do, damned if you dont
Ok-Energy-9785@reddit
Yes
freshboss4200@reddit
Not really as common i dont think, but maybe it has become more so lately
damutecebu@reddit
Not common at all. Though they aren’t unheard of.
Buppers0550@reddit
Gap years happen here. Though probably not 1/3. Maybe I am wrong, but we are pretty pressured into going to college right out of high school, so most do that. But I know plenty of people who take gap years.
mkt853@reddit
No
VariegatedPlumage@reddit
Becoming more common! Pretty uncommon when I was a teen but I think once American teenagers started talking to more UK teens online the concept has spread a bit. Still not super common but I know a lot more Gen Z kids doing it than Millennials.