Raisingkids.co.uk's guest expert Frank McGinty discusses the positive and negative aspects of a gap year between school and university.

Raisingkids member's problem
Is a 'gap year' a good idea, and if so, should my teenager spend her year off travelling or working in a field that will be helpful for her university course?

Frank McGinty's advice
I hope this doesn’t sound like sitting on the fence, but a gap year can be great for some, not so good for others. So let’s consider why some young people consider the possibility of a ‘year out’ in the first place.

After the rigours of A-levels etc. some students feel genuinely too tired to step right back into the academic strait-jacket; they need some time to recuperate, to rest up, to recharge. Call it what you will, but it seems to do them a power of good. If your teenager were in this category, then a year working in a related field would be ideal. It would keep her in touch with her area of interest, and would no doubt provide ideal experience that would benefit her subsequent confidence and performance at university.

Others, however, opt for a gap year because they have serious doubts about the courses they’ve chosen, or, indeed, whether they really want to go to university at all. Often they ‘think’ university is the right thing to do because it’s what parents want, or what school expects of them etc. etc. . . They don’t want to offend or disappoint anyone, but deep down they doubt whether it is the best path for them. Travelling or working for these young people is all grist to the ‘self-discovery’ mill.

Then there are those who simply prefer the easy option in life. ‘Uni is hard work - I’ll just put it off for a while!’ Once they’ve settled into a less demanding job or whatever, young people in this category rarely go back to education. Sometimes they do, but only when they become motivated as a result of the boredom or lack of fulfilment they’re experiencing. Yet others can simply have a crisis of confidence. (‘I wonder if I’ll be able to cope with uni?’) These students tend to need a great deal of understanding and support.

So talk with your teenager. Make it clear that it’s what she wants that counts, provided she has reached her decision after careful consideration. Listen to the genuine expression of her thoughts and feelings. That way you’ll help her get to the bottom of what is really motivating her.