Students "gapping" college career

Colleges in the U.S. and Great Britain are encouraging students to take a "gap year" in their academic careers in order to mature emotionally and intellectually before beginning their first semester of university life. This enables new high school graduates to take time to travel, work, and study abroad before experiencing the rigors of college.

While gap years are more common in England, they are gaining popularity in America since employers and graduate schools look favorably upon students who seek worthwhile experiences away from the comforts of home.

"Studying abroad during the gap year prepares incoming college students for the entire college experience, both on an academic and personal level," says Brian Boubek, president of Cultural Experiences Abroad, Cambridge, Mass. "Not only that, students can transfer the academic credits they earn while abroad and be ahead of their studies when they start college at their home campus."

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