(Opinion) Mind the Gap Year.

Found in The Mystician 84.8, Page 10

https://www.bscmysticmedia.com/_files/ugd/628cb3_df7d3f29978c4f1397a9305c946000f0.pdf

As I write this column, I am starting to feel the reality of my situation: this will be the last issue of The Mystician in which I will be submitting stories. With every word I write, I am hit by the realization that I am inching closer to the end of not only my second year of college, but also finishing my time at Bismarck State College (not including my summer internship). Now, I need to start thinking about what to do next.

And the idea honestly scares me.

Like many other sophomores at BSC, I do not have the option to complete a bachelor’s degree with my major in Mass Communications. While there is some merit to earning just an associate’s degree, as some of my classmates plan to go into work straight after graduation, I feel like there are benefits to working toward my bachelor’s degree. Not only would it help with my chance of employment since I want to work outside of North Dakota, but also the extra time would help me gain the confidence needed to succeed in my career.

The main problem is if I want to continue my degree and take classes in person, I will have to move.

The good news for me is that I have an option for a place to continue college since my family is planning to move to Las Vegas, Nevada. While I have some doubts about living in this area, I am willing to put my biases toward the city aside—I will feel comfortable having familial support in case anything goes wrong, which is a luxury many my age don’t have.

The bad news is that in order to attend the college I desire, University of Las Vegas, Nev,I will have to make a choice. I can attend immediately and pay the estimated out-of-state tuition of $24,828. I can choose part-time for a reduced fee with less grant assistance. Or, I can wait until I am claimed as a dependent on my parent’s tax form or have lived 12 months in the state to become a resident,so I can get the in-state tuition of about $8,737, a third of the out-of-state tuition.

This means that the best option for me is taking a gap year between BSC and UNLV. This, of course, does not mean I won’t do anything with my time. Because I do not have the luxury to take time off and travel, this will be an opportunity to gain work experience and save some money.

Normally, people who take gap years are more likely to do so after high school, so the data for people who take one between an associate’s and bachelor’s degree is a lot less common. Yet, they usually possess similar but different benefits and consequences.

The benefits may include saving money, gaining work experience and reconsidering future goals.

Consequences may include having to start paying off student loans, having to explain the missing year on a résumé and getting into a routine in which students may never come back to college.

As I prepare to graduate from BSC at the end of the summer, my ultimate plan is to continue my education. Now that I am moving out of North Dakota, I will have to consider what to do next and the consequences that follow my choices. In the meantime, I will take advantage of this gap year to get a job and obtain some real-world experience in order to become a well-rounded adult.