Early in life, it seems easier to get caught up in the sands of time. Think about it for instance, when you were in High School, a new school year was a completely new season of life altogether. But once you’ve all grown up, six months ago finds a way to feel like last week! Between the ages of 18 - 24 especially, each year of life is some sort of milestone that involves a lot of growing up. Society holds expectations that you move at the ‘right’ pace, or else you’ll fall behind and get trampled over by those behind you! Is this the Biblical approach to take on time? Afterall, why do some regret never taking a gap year after High School? Let’s take a look at the data, and then decipher the implications of the data.
As Christians, the objective of life is to glorify God, make disciples, and become more like Jesus. We are called to discern our spiritual gifts (with the help of the Holy Spirit), and to utilize those gifts to whichever career path the Lord is leading us to. In each life decision made, it is clear that God wants this to be the priority. As GotQuestions.com mentions, “Scripture reveals that God lives outside the bounds of time as we know it. Our destiny was planned “before the beginning of time” (2 Timothy 1:9; Titus 1:2). In other words, it is apparent that the ideal pace of society should not dictate our decisions. If we are in accordance with God's will, there will be no “trampling” over by the world with the mighty God in control of our destiny.
A case study (The possible value of a gap year : a case study (journals.co.za) involving carefully selected participants discovered that each of the participants experienced growth in critical life skills and personal development. The gap year itself provided a time for students to learn more about themselves, which for some was directly aided their career decisions. In other words, the data suggests positive outcomes for those who take the route of a gap year. Check out our blog on the positive consequences of a gap year below.
The 12 Surprising and Powerful Academic Benefits Of Taking A Gap Year — Denver Gap Year
Personal Benefits Of A Gap Year That Most People Overlook — Denver Gap Year
Parent Testimony - A Wise Investment In The Future — Denver Gap Year
A startling statistic reported by Zip Recruiter suggests that nearly half (44 percent to be exact) of college students regret their college major choice (The Most Regretted and Most Loved College Majors - ZipRecruiter). A fair implication of this data would suggest that students rush into one of the most important life decisions they’ll ever make. Luckily for our gap year students, and all those who are deciding to take a gap year, we also know that statistically speaking, those who take a gap year are overwhelmingly reporting satisfaction in their eventual job, while 90% of students who have a planned gap year end up returning back to school a year later. (Gap Year Research – Gap Year Association)
Long story short: if you or your child are considering the gap year route, the data would suggest that there are benefits to doing so. Be sure to explore these benefits and ground yourself in prayer and a Biblical worldview on the matters of time itself.
