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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
IS
THIS FOR ME?
Interim is for anyone seeking productive change in his or
her life: students between high school and college or in college, recent
graduates, individuals looking for a career change, empty-nested parents,
burned-out executives, retirees. We work primarily with students because
it is usually easier for them to take an interim semester or year to explore
the world and their interests. They range from being highly self-directed
and academically focused to thoroughly tired of the traditional academic
process.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF AN INTERIM OR “GAP” YEAR EXPERIENCE?
For graduating high school students,
the interim year before college is a most natural break in a student's procession
along the academic path, and there are many good reasons why students should
take advantage of it.
They are old enough to travel on their own and it is
often the first time that they experience and identify themselves as separate
from family and friends, an important step in their maturation. The interim
year can be viewed as a rite of passage in a culture that seriously lacks
this important process of initiation for young adults.
For many students, it is often the first time
that they are exercising a substantive choice regarding what it is that
they want to do with their lives, at least for twelve months. We find
that because they view it as their year, students take more responsibility
for it and for themselves.
We have worked with many students who flourish when they encounter a pressure-free atmosphere where they feel needed and valued. They invariably return
to school refreshed and self-confident.
The fact that we now inhabit a global village makes it
vitally important for students to be directly involved in other cultures.
Their subjective experience abroad can help break down the limited, and
often unconscious, "we-they" mentality that invariably generates
personal and global conflict. Some of these young adults will lead the
future generations, and the significance, therefore, of their enhanced
multicultural awareness and respect for the rights of others, is undeniable.
This same point can be made with reference to programs that bring students
into meaningful and sustained contact with different socio-economic levels
of American society.
For college students, or those just graduating
college, an interim semester or year is often one of reflection and reassessment,
a broadening of perspective and horizons. In 1988, in reference to the
20% of Harvard students who take a break at some point before graduating,
Harvard's Dean of Admission, Bill Fitzsimmons, stated: "Many students
have been in a sort of lock-step, working hard most of their lives. A
year of travel or employment gives them an opportunity to assess their
personal goals and values and possibly alter the course of their careers
before it's too late." The half step of internships and apprenticeships
Interim
offers are an effective and often less stressful way to explore jobs without
having to commit to a field which, in practice, may not suit the individual
at all. Career goals aside, taking three to twelve months of one's life
to explore and reflect is a tremendous opportunity that grows more elusive
after graduation. In a number of our interviews with families, the most
common refrain of parents is, "How I wish I had done something like
this when I was in school!"
For older adults, taking interim time offers the option
of a break from the work world, a chance to explore a new area of interest
or a potential career change, professional development, travel not just as a tourist, service work,
new perspectives, sabbatical ideas, etc.
WHAT DO COLLEGES THINK OF
THE INTERIM OR “GAP” YEAR?
Most colleges today are very supportive of this concept as long as the
student is doing something productive with the time. They recognize
that students who engage in a year of creative, structured experiences
will be more mature, motivated and productive, in short, a far more
appealing student overall. Fred Hargadon, former Dean of Admissions
at Princeton University, commented that students need more wisdom, perspective
and experience to take full advantage of college, and that creative
use of an interim year can provide these necessary elements. We have
worked with many students who believe that their Interim
year experiences helped them get into colleges that otherwise might
not have accepted them.
HOW MUCH DOES AN INTERIM
YEAR COST?
Aside from Interim's flat consulting fee, the cost of
a combination of interim programs ranges widely. Although Interim
does not find jobs for people, many programs provide room and board
(housing and food), in exchange for work, in which case only transportation
and miscellaneous costs need be considered. We consult with many students
who fund their year without assistance from parents. Other programs
require fees or tuition depending on their various missions and resources.
One of Interim's strengths is the number of program choices
that are available in every cost category. An interim year invariably
costs much less than a year in college.
WHAT
TYPE OF PROGRAMS ARE OFFERED FOR SABBATICAL, MID-CAREER AND/OR RETIREMENT
ENRICHMENT?
There are a variety of Interim programs to suit adults
seeking an interesting sabbatical experience, in a career change, or
who are ready to make creative use of their retirement years.
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