High school seniors at Eisenhower Highschool are considering their next steps after leaving high school. Some students feel much eager than others to jump straight into their studies, while others expressed more interest in taking a gap year to explore other opportunities, such as getting straight into the work force or traveling.

Taking a gap year means spending time away from education to gain life experience or skills. The Seniors interviewed give reasons such as some careers being more difficult to get back into, enjoying life with a job, saving money before entering college, and ruining their routine of their everyday school life, making it harder for them to get back into school. This decision comes as graduation approaches, with many students making their final choices the spring before graduation. Many students share their opinions subconsciously whether that may be in classrooms, counselor talks, and informal conversations about future plans. Students who tend to support the idea of gap years say it can help them be more independent and mature, while others worry about losing academic momentum or falling behind.

Despite controversies, most agree the choice depends on personal reasons, goals, and motivations. Seniors at Eisenhower Highschool see both positives and negatives in taking their gap year after high school, making for a great topic of discussion.