In statement released by the East Wing on Sunday, President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama announced that Malia “will take a gap year before beginning school”.
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The White House, which has always closely guarded the details of Malia and Sasha Obama’s comings and goings, made no further comment on Malia’s college choice or why she chose to a year break between graduating high school and heading off to college.
Malia will turn 18 years old in July, and Sasha will be 15 in June. “Many Harvard admits do a gap year btw Smart move”.
Did the eldest of the Obama daughters decide to take a hiatus from school to expand her horizons by traveling the world, or to do humanitarian work, or maybe to get some real-world film-making experience under her belt? NPR reports on the growing trend to defer freshman year to pursue other interests.
President Obama’s daughter, Malia, is taking a year off before starting college in the fall. “If you take a gap year, you actually finish sooner than the students that just go straight into school” because they usually have a clearer idea of their goals and plans after spending time overseas.
“I felt like it was necessary to go straight into school”, said Hofstra University student Sean Bates.
Students who took a gap year typically say they entered college feeling more recharged and focused, while universities say those students often arrive on campus as better leaders – more civically engaged and motivated. And the time away really did seem to help these students recharge: Once in college, they were more likely than the students who went straight on through to demonstrate signs of high motivation, defined by these researchers as superior time management and an increased likelihood to planahead. The reasons a high-school graduate puts off college is critically important to how well they eventually do in school and in their career.
The Oregon-based American Gap Association says so-called gap years are more common in Europe and Australia.
What students typically do: Many students opt to spend some time overseas studying, learning foreign languages or volunteering with charities, according to a 2015 report by the American Gap Association, which cited students’ desire to experience personal growth, see the world and take a break from the traditional academic track. The racial slur earned the comment the most likes. And at Boston College, as few as 15 students will seek deferrals in any given year. “But, the concept hasn’t really caught on in the United States quite yet, as many are likely anxious taking a break would put them at a disadvantage.” . Without a concrete plan for what to do during that time and how to pay for it, a gap year may be a bad investment, some advisers said.
But Knight stressed that not taking a gap year shouldn’t be seen as a disadvantage.
In any scenario, whether college or the gap year, adversity is what will lead to the greatest change and development in a person, Knight said.
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In his new book, “There Is Life After College: What Parents and Students Should Know About Navigating School to Prepare for the Jobs of Tomorrow”, Prof.
