Help Your Graduate Turn an ‘interim Year’ Into a ‘target Year’

High school students this year did not have full graduation experience this year. In many cases, they missed the last few months of school, and with them graduations, spring sports, graduation celebrations, and even their own graduation ceremonies. As uncertainty about fall looms, graduates may think about something that is often done even in non-pandemic times: they may want to take a “year off”.

An “Intermediate Year” is a semester or full year of experiential study, usually held after graduation from high school and before the start of postsecondary education or a career, according to theIntermediate Years Association. This is a break from classroom learning and the time a young person can spend gathering life experiences, often traveling, working or volunteering.

An interim year right now definitely won’t look like a regular interim year, but their first year of college probably won’t look too normal either. Even if schools reopen in the fall, they could be closed again if the number of COVID-19 cases rises sharply. Students can return from dorms and head home to resume online studies. It may not have been the college experience they were hoping for.

They may not have planned or even wanted to take a year off from their studies, but now they may be considering it, especially if the family is short on money due to unemployment during the pandemic. If so, Melody Warnick writes for the New York Times that they will want to make sure that proper procedures are followed before dropping out of college this fall:

Students who enroll in colleges for the fall semester should find out if the college will allow them to postpone their enrollment for a one-year break and what this will mean for their studies. “Even if you are approved for the interim year,” said education consultant Christine White, author of The Ultimate Interim Year Guide, “it is not always clear that your financial assistance package will be the same.”

They may not be able to hike Europe anytime soon, but there are several ways to use the next year to unleash their hobbies, which means they can turn their “hiatus year” into a “target year.”

Set goals for the year

The target year shouldn’t be to stay up late and watch shows on Netflix all day (although I see the attraction in that). They will only get something for the year if they set clear, measurable goals. The actual goals themselves can vary greatly; maybe they want to learn a new skill, take some free online courses, post a job, or work with an organization.

The hiatus year is aboutfinding the intersection of what they love to do, what they do well, what the world needs, and what they might be paid for . Some young people spend their first year of college doing this, which often looks like they change majors four times and actually add a fifth year of college before you even start. A year off, if done well, can help them focus on what they want to do for the rest of their lives.

Find mentoring opportunities

Mentoring this year can take many forms. They may want to connect with professionals in their area of ​​interest to do an internship, job spy, or coffee meetings at Zoom to determine which aspects of the job they enjoy most.

But they can also use this time to mentor young children, which is especially valuable for children and parents during this time of isolation. If a young person is gifted with mathematics, he can conduct virtual training for children who find it difficult to study at home. If they are musically gifted, they can give one-on-one lessons to an aspiring musician. Or they might just be an older brother / older sister for a child who needs extra support. Giving and receiving mentorship during this time can be beneficial.

Volunteer

Volunteering should be an important part of the Target Year, and just because we’re in the midst of a pandemic doesn’t mean we don’t have many opportunities to volunteer remotely or by following physical distance guidelines. (For starters, this Grown & Flown article has a lot of ideas.)

If they are politically inclined, there will be many local opportunities to help register people to vote or take part in a candidate’s campaign. There may be local (or national) social justice organizations that need a little extra help right now. Or they may simply take on the responsibility of buying groceries for an elderly neighbor in times of crisis.

Find out and experience

Be that as it may, your young adult children are specifically choosing to spend the Target Year, learning and gaining experience should be their priority. They should start this year with the thought that it will help them recharge their minds after so many years of class, it will give them time to grow in knowledge and maturity, and it will give them a sense of vigor to begin their postsecondary education. or their careers when the pandemic is finally behind us.