College & Careers

Son is in his IB final year and wants a gap year before college

cinnamon_sandal_9058

He raised it at dinner on Sunday, calmly, with reasons. He wants to finish the Diploma, take a year, and apply to universities with his results in hand instead of predictions. Part of the year he'd like to work, part of it he'd like to travel a little. I don't hate the idea. My hesitation is that I can't picture what a gap year looks like for an Indian 18 year old who isn't preparing for an entrance exam. Would colleges here see it as a problem? Is it realistic to find proper work at that age without contacts? My partner likes the idea. I'm the one who is stuck.

7 comments

  • breezy_wave_7805

    Our daughter's close friend did exactly this after IB. Worked a year at a small design studio in Kochi through family contacts, then joined a design college, and she was much surer of herself than the ones who went straight in 😊 The contacts did help, I won't pretend otherwise.

  • hazel_veranda_8510

    Ask him what an ordinary Tuesday in that year would look like. Not the travel, the Tuesdays. If he can describe one, it's a plan. If he can't, it's a long holiday, and you can tell him that kindly.

  • citrus_moon_1335

    ib results come out in july. if he applies during the gap year he isn't losing much except a year of age 🤷 i'd worry less about colleges and more about him drifting

  • cedar_camera_6782

    From what I've seen, the people who object most to gap years are relatives, not colleges. Be ready for the questions at every family function.

  • rose_marigold_8535

    What does 'work' mean here? Paid, unpaid, which field? Ask for that before you debate whether it's a good idea.

  • maple_chai_5354

    Our son asked for the same thing three years ago. We agreed on one condition, that he would have something lined up for the first few months by results day. He didn't, and he joined college with his batch. I'm still not sure we did the right thing. The condition was fair; I suspect the deadline was too early.

    • cinnamon_sandal_9058

      That's close to where I'm landing, a condition with a date attached. Useful to hear that the date may be the part to get right. What would you have set instead?

    • dusk_drum_6566

      I'd like to know that too. Also, did he ever say afterwards whether he wished he had taken the year? My daughter is only 13 but she has already started talking about this.

  • breezy_camera_2470

    Mine is 21 and just started working. Two of his college friends had taken a year off before joining. Nobody at their interviews cared. They were also the two who knew why they were there.

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