Many students are eager to delay college in the time of COVID-19. However, traditional gap year plans are often not possible due to social distancing and liability concerns. So, how can you still make the most of your time between high school and college?
Join the front lines helping others. While many services opportunities have held off on taking new volunteers, Americorps has continued to accept applications. It can be hard, but valuable work.
Save up for college. Specific industries such as online education, grocery stores, food delivery, drugs stores, and teleworking software are all hiring thousands to keep up with the pandemic demand.
Knock out a few credits. Many community colleges will offer affordable, online courses that you can use to transfer when you are ready to attend a four-year institution. Always check to make sure your future school will accept the credits, as schools have specific transfer policies.
Learn skills at home. You may be spending an extraordinary amount of time at home. Use it to learn a language (the Foreign Service Institute offers free courses) or a valuable skill such as coding (Codeacademy is a great resource).
Volunteer from home. There are meaning volunteer opportunities that do not risk virus exposure such as fostering animals from a local rescue and letter-writing campaigns.
Work on yourself. In college and beyond, you will encounter many obstacles that will test your abilities. You can use this time to prepare yourself physically and/or mentally. You can keep a journal, set goals, transform your habits, and see a challenge through to the end.
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