EF Gap Year Offers Students Confidence And Global Perspective

This Patch article is sponsored by EF Education First.

Christian Meyer, President of EF College Study and EF Gap Year, pre-college and college study abroad programs at EF Education First, believes in taking a gap year between high school and college.

“[A year] where you can experience the entire world as a touchstone to better understand yourself and realize your own path to a life of fulfillment and positive impact — before you make the expensive personal development investment of a two or four year degree,” he explains. “We often talk about our programs as akin to getting a master’s degree in self-discovery.”

Patch had the chance to chat with Meyer about the benefits of taking a gap year.

Patch: What do students gain from taking gap years?

Meyer: Confidence, empathy, global perspective and adaptability. We have spent a ton of time talking to employers and talent management teams to understand deeply what they look for in today’s young employees. And universally, they describe markets that are constantly changing and that they need employees who can thrive in that environment; that they (employers) are well equipped to train on hard skills but poorly equipped to develop soft skills; they need applicants to walk in the door with a clearer sense of who they are individually so that they can collaborate, innovate and adapt with speed and dexterity and not get thrown so far off stride when things go wrong.

Patch: Who is a gap year a good fit for?

Meyer: I honestly believe the world would be a better place if everybody took a gap year. It doesn’t have to be as exotic as traveling abroad. But it does mean dedicating some time to examine yourself through the lens of new environments, people and ideas outside of the education system so that you can step back into it with renewed confidence and drive.

Patch: What attracted you to the gap year space?

Meyer: My own kids. My own love for new cultural experiences. In some ways, higher education has not been able to adapt as quickly to the needs of a generation that can be defined as “information rich and experience poor.” Never has so much information been so available but experiences so insulated. Students are rocketing through the education system and finding themselves on the other side without the tools to navigate their own path to happiness.

Patch: How has COVID-19 changed the higher education landscape?

Meyer: It has exposed how much learning actually happens outside of the classroom simply by subtracting it.

Patch: What should parents know about gap years?

Meyer: Colleges like gap students. Employers like gap students. Harvard University recommends in their admission letter that all students consider a gap year. I have yet to come across families that looked back and thought it was a bad investment. I have come across a majority who have reflected that it was one of the most impactful experiences of their lives.

Patch: What’s the biggest challenge students are facing right now?

Meyer: Fear and anxiety. From almost every dimension. Experience is the answer to fear. Self-confidence and perspective is the answer to anxiety.

Patch: What’s your favorite thing about EF Gap Year programs?

Meyer: I don’t even know where to start. Seeing a group of new friends, 5 minutes off the flight, huddled around the ATM machine trying to figure out how to get money out in French. The learning starts almost immediately. Fast forward several months and the world itself has been ingested into the values and fabric of these students with profound impact on all of us.

Patch: Do you have any upcoming open houses or events for prospective students?

Meyer: Always! Visit www.efgapyear.com whenever you need some inspiration!