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High School Seniors: Skip College

Taking a year off makes sense for most

By John Johnson, Newser Staff

Posted Nov 7, 2009 10:57 AM CST

(Newser) – A private consultant who makes a living helping high school seniors get into college has some unexpected advice for them: Don't do it. Take at least a year off instead, writes Gwyeth T. Smith. Yes, the idea of the "gap year" has been around a while, but the lousy economy combined with the increasing rat-race aspect of the admissions process makes it sound advice for most students these days.

Too often, students spend their high school years "preening for colleges" instead of genuinely reflecting on "who they want to become," writes Smith in the Washington Post. That's not a new problem, but today's weak job market and skyrocketing tuition costs make it an expensive one to fix. A year off, wisely spent, can only help—not only the student but the entire out-of-whack system.

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High school seniors shouldn't be in such a rush to get to college. (Shutter Stock)

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I'd rather see most of these young men and women far from a campus for a while. I urge them to bus tables in a restaurant, apprentice for an architect or pull weeds on a community farm. - Gwyeth T. Smith

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COMMENTS

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Showing 3 of 13 comments

Stasis

Nov 8, 2009 12:57 PM CST

This is good advice for people who need college. For the rest of us who have our minds and not a piece of paper to get us a job, f*ck it! Take 5 years off after high school. That's what I did....had I never done that, I would have never met the guy I eventually went into business with and I wouldn't be getting paid big bucks to do, what has to be, one of the most fun jobs on Earth

Cat-Lover

Nov 8, 2009 12:37 PM CST

And while in any of those 10 to 15 jobs, employers demand loyalty! What goes around comes around, no?

yesno858

Nov 8, 2009 7:01 AM CST

finally...a good topic! I went straight to college, but had no concept of the expenses aside of tuition. I wish I had taken a year to work and really save some money so that by the time I moved off campus, I wouldn't have had to work as much to pay rent or buy groceries while going full-time.

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High School Seniors: Skip College