When students graduate from high school they are expected to mature and become more independent in their lives. Some students in their late teens feel they cannot take on the responsibility that college brings. They may not be financially prepared for the cost of college or they simply want to take some time for themselves and figure out who they are and what they want to do. Gap years are a dedicated year after high school in which a student spends time traveling, working, volunteering, or simply maturing. Many students use this time to prepare for the life decisions that await them. They can also use this time to have fun before the hard work of college. They may decide to volunteer to give back to others at a time in their lives when today's teenagers live in a world where instant gratification and self-centeredness are rife. Although teens often perform volunteer or service hours in high school, they usually do so to fulfill a requirement or improve a college application. True volunteering is when you truly give of yourself without expecting anything in return. Volunteering allows young adults to step out of their own worlds and start seeing others. They begin to realize the true gift that it means to give of themselves. They may also find that they want to live a life of service or choose a career in which they help others. Another benefit of volunteering at this time in life is the effect it can have on the peers of the person volunteering. Their friends might see them volunteering and see the sacrifice and joy it can bring. Through the use of social media, the person volunteering could share their experience and at the very least could help others consider the same thing. But it's a wonderful option for teenagers growing up in a culture that promotes the "self." Its value really depends on the intentions and how seriously the young person takes it. If they were committed to its purpose and had a plan for after it was over, then I think most parents would support it. Having parental support and approval would most likely be necessary to a certain extent. If they laid out their plan to their parents and showed the purpose of the gap year and what they expect to learn, achieve or gain, their parents would be more likely to support the decision. However, many parents may let their child make the decision as one of the first independent decisions of their life. This in itself could be a learning experience for