Taran Allan-McKay thought he was ready to go to university when he got his acceptance letter from the University of Toronto Scarborough in 2019.
However, a change of heart led him to postpone his post-secondary plans by a year; a decision that led him into what he calls “a blissful period” in his life.
In Ontario’s recent election, the Ontario Liberal Party promised an optional reintroduction of Grade 13 for all current Ontario high school students. The Liberals proposed this extra year to help students catch up on opportunities they missed during the COVID-19 pandemic and take new credits in finances, taxes, mental health and more.
Despite the party’s loss this election, the proposition of an additional year in secondary school raises a larger question: Is 18 too young to go to university?
Allan-McKay, now entering his third year at Carleton University, said it depends on the student.
“I don’t think a gap year is for everyone,” he said.
According to a Statistics Canada report published in May 2022, “Students who take a gap year may face higher opportunity costs since they often substitute one year of lower-paying, pre-PSE [post-secondary education] work for one year of higher-paying post-PSE work.”
The report goes on to state that students “may acquire more focus and maturity during their time away from studies,” which could help benefit them in the labour market long-term.
Allan-McKay said he doesn’t think gap years should ever be made obligatory because this extra time could hold back a student who’s already prepared to go directly into post-secondary studies. However, he was glad he took a year off instead of following through with his acceptance of the offer he received from UofT.
“I don’t know why on earth I accepted [the offer], that would have been a hell decision if I’d gone [to university],” he said.
He said his friends and family had been throwing around the idea of taking some time off when he was making his decision. Some of Allan-McKay’s friends had taken time off and enjoyed it, while others didn’t and regretted their choice.
Allan-McKay said he thought the extra year gave him some more space to grow.
“Because I had that extra space, I got to really think about what I wanted to do,” he added. “I’m just pretty glad I ended up […] in the program I’m in now.”
Allan-McKay said in his first year he shared a washroom with another student in residence who hadn’t taken a gap year, which gave him perspective into how much he grew during his gap year.
“I was comparing my life to this guy who was fresh out of high school,” he said. “There were huge, huge differences between us and it was only one year of our lives.”
Breaking the stigma
Dr. Anne Bowker, associate dean of Carleton’s Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and associate professor in Carleton’s Department of Psychology, said there’s a stigma that exists around gap years.
“Parents are often reluctant to let their kid take a year off because they’re afraid that they’re never going to go on to university,” Bowker said.
She said she sees variations in the maturity of her first-year students and their readiness to pursue post-secondary studies. Her students’ reasoning also varies, Bowker said, because some come to university eager and willing to learn, while others only end up there because their parents want them to be in school.
“I don’t think there’s anything wrong with taking time off,” she said. “Students who are not comfortable at university, who don’t really want to be here, are generally not successful.”
According to a 2019 survey by the American College Heath Association, more than 80 per cent of the 55,000 post-secondary Canadian students who were surveyed felt “overwhelmed by everything to do.” It also reported that close to 70 per cent felt hopeless at some point.
Bowker said many university students are still emerging adults and their brain development is still underway until their early twenties.
Societal and parental pressure
One lifestyle factor that can affect a student’s independence and development is helicopter parenting, according to Bowker.
“There’s a fine line between being supportive and being so involved that you’re preventing your son or daughter from actually developing the way they should,” Bowker said.
Joshua Harris, Carleton student, former Discover Year participant and head ambassador of the program, said the parental and societal pressures university students face are evident.
“From what I’ve seen … people are moving, not on their interests at 18, but more on what other people expect them to do,” Harris said.
Harris said it’s clear which students don’t want to be in university, judging by their work ethic and lack of presence in class.
In Harris’ opinion, a gap year is useful even if students know where they want to go and what they want to do because it can accelerate their development of soft skills such as communication and networking.
With students being isolated in their rooms instead of in class, Gosselin said they haven’t had the opportunity to build important social and emotional skills.
Despite his belief in its benefits, Gosselin said he doesn’t believe gap years should be made mandatory.
Postsecondary fears
Gosselin founded Discover Year because of his work as a recruiter for the University of Ottawa. He said he was heartbroken when he met students who said they felt more dread, anxiety and stress than excitement while thinking of university.
When he asked students about their interests, Gosselin said they would either appear blank-faced or name a far-off academic program, such as a PhD.
“I would push people to say, ‘No, I don’t care about academics, I just wanna hear what your interests [are] … What do you do for fun?’” Gosselin said. “It would be pretty regular that people would start crying.”
He said 20 years ago, students pursued their undergraduate degrees to build skills and become independent. Back then, Gosselin said people didn’t go to university with a distinct career path in mind.
“Now, everyone feels that they can only go [to university] and it’s only of value if they leave and can attach their studies to their career, which is ludicrous,” Gosselin said, noting that few university graduates end up in the fields they initially chose.
Gosselin said while he finds the idea of Grade 13 interesting, he thinks it would be ideal if students didn’t spend it in their high school. Gosselin used the term “repotting” to describe his thoughts.
“The analogy is the flower that’s being uprooted from the current environment, which is often cramped and known, and moving the flower to a more nourishing bed,” he said.
For students who may not have had a supportive high school experience, Gosselin said there can be something powerful about a change of pace. He said he thinks it’s great that the idea of Grade 13 is being explored and society is starting to understand that young people need more time.
Harris couldn’t agree more.
“There’s only positive benefits to a gap year,” Harris said.
Featured image by Emmanuella Onyeme.
