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April, 2023

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College or gap year

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h3nry.
Posts: 216 - Karma: 3,483
So I have been accepted into the university of Utah and have a pretty decent scholarship there(I’m out of state so it does not help a ton) but I am also considering taking a gap year. I obviously wanna take a gap year and move to Salt Lake City but my parents are against it because they think that I won’t go to college after a gap year. I am wondering if you guys have any advice on how to convince my parents to let me take a gap year. Also, if I did take a gap year I would need a job and since I have experience working park crew I would probably do that. Does anyone know what kind of hours or pay resorts around Salt Lake City have for park crew?
Apr 8 2021 8:29PM
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r00kie
Posts: 4690 - Karma: 51,613
Unless you have a specific goal for your gap year I dont recommend it. Your parents concerns get played out very often in real life. That being said there are a lot of examples that say otherwise as well.
Apr 8 2021 8:32PM
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Notaskibum
Posts: 848 - Karma: 3,966
^^ what he said, that being said the in-state tuition is great, just make sure you have a plan and people who will hold you accountable.
Apr 8 2021 9:16PM
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h3nry.
Posts: 216 - Karma: 3,483
Notaskibum^^ what he said, that being said the in-state tuition is great, just make sure you have a plan and people who will hold you accountable.


The in state tuition is a big reason for taking the gap year for me. I plan on going back and the statistics are that 90% of people who take gap years return to school. I would imagine that people who take gap years to ski and return to school is probably lower though.
Apr 8 2021 9:19PM
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toe-bang-gang
Posts: 208 - Karma: 1,269
h3nry.So I have been accepted into the university of Utah and have a pretty decent scholarship there(I’m out of state so it does not help a ton) but I am also considering taking a gap year. I obviously wanna take a gap year and move to Salt Lake City but my parents are against it because they think that I won’t go to college after a gap year. I am wondering if you guys have any advice on how to convince my parents to let me take a gap year. Also, if I did take a gap year I would need a job and since I have experience working park crew I would probably do that. Does anyone know what kind of hours or pay resorts around Salt Lake City have for park crew?


everyone i know who’s taken a gap year hd never ended up actually going to uni

**This post was edited on Apr 8th 2021 at 9:32:12pm
Apr 8 2021 9:31PM
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Notaskibum
Posts: 848 - Karma: 3,966
Do you know what you plan to study?

One suggestion to get your parents off your back and keep you in the academic mindset is you could do like a coding bootcamp like lambda school or take some online classes that wouldn't effect in state tuition while you also work.
Apr 8 2021 9:46PM
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h3nry.
Posts: 216 - Karma: 3,483
NotaskibumDo you know what you plan to study?

One suggestion to get your parents off your back and keep you in the academic mindset is you could do like a coding bootcamp like lambda school or take some online classes that wouldn't effect in state tuition while you also work.


I plan on going for computer science but this sounds like a pretty solid idea
Apr 8 2021 9:55PM
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Notaskibum
Posts: 848 - Karma: 3,966
h3nry.I plan on going for computer science but this sounds like a pretty solid idea


CS is the shit smart choice there.

In terms of landing a park crew job i'm pretty sure @theabortionator works for vail resorts at northstar driving the park cat and might have some clue how to land something like that here.
Apr 8 2021 10:26PM
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iH8pow
Posts: 1670 - Karma: 6,692
I’m too stupid to have ever gotten one—does a scholarship even apply after a gap year or do you need start next year?

i failed out of college my first try so i technically did have a gap year. Almost bought a Suzuki GSXR while working during that gap year—i’m certain had i gave i would have never gone back to school. But i had parents who would force me to go back to school.

if you do it, you better start studying and picking your major/classes during the gap year. Because nobody whoever say’s they’re taking a year off ever goes back
Apr 10 2021 4:36PM
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pissnu_skis
Posts: 429 - Karma: 6,791
Let’s get an apartment or some shit in September and split rent
Apr 10 2021 4:44PM
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dolanslebensraum
Posts: 5959 - Karma: -13,092
College in america is a fucking joke unless ur doing something like engineering. And even then there are lots of engineering programs around that are cheap. Go to a trade school. Or get a ski resort job and sell drugs on the side.
Apr 10 2021 9:36PM
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Non_State_Actor
Posts: 4129 - Karma: 13,749
Gap decade is where it's at.






Seriously, just go to school. If you want to take it easy and roll the five year plan do that.
Apr 11 2021 2:09AM
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SurfinCow
Posts: 207 - Karma: 1,596
i took a gap year and it was the best decision i made after high school. got a much needed break from the school system and went back into uni feeling fresh and more prepared. as long as you have a solid plan to return to school after that should help convince ur parents. tell em you need the mental break and opportunity to grow outside the classroom
Apr 11 2021 4:29AM
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PeppermillReno
Posts: 4529 - Karma: -509
h3nry.I plan on going for computer science but this sounds like a pretty solid idea


Don't second guess yourself bro.

I'd try and start getting on the internship train. Work experience will trump anything on your degree. Find some entry level shit related to what you'll be studying and get going early.

Also remember this is the field where you will probably be able to pull off remote work for your career and ski a lot if you are good. Try and find a niche of the tech world to be more demand.

A little initiative goes a long way if your plan isn't to bump lifts or work in a ski shop and you do something skilled and get paid for it at your age your doing well.
Apr 11 2021 9:38AM
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ConfinedAquifer
Posts: 17 - Karma: 118
Take the gap year man, you won't regret it. Especially if you have reliable (and not to mention fun) work lined up. 4 years of expensive college is a huge commitment. So many of my friends have dropped out, transferred, changed majors, etc - which results in them spending more time and money on the degree. 18 years old is a highly formative time. If you think you know who you are right now, you absolutely don't. See what happens in a year.

I'm a junior civil engineering major. I'm very much interested in the jobs that it should bring me, but man college has become such a chore. Especially with COVID totally ruining it.
Apr 18 2021 4:27PM
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Lonely
Posts: 6076 - Karma: 48,202
I've got a great option for you that allows you to both gain residency and save money. Take the gap year and go out to salt lake, but while your there at least study part-time at community college. This does a few things.

1. You will be able to get your gen-ed classes (which are the most commonly failed classes at large universities) out of the way with much smaller class sizes and a much lower cost.
2. For your parents, it shows that you are still working towards getting a degree, and if you are only taking a few credits at community college you can still work part-time and save for Uni.
3. It will give you time to get residency within the state. I think in Utah, for people planning for college it is 9 months. Having residency will drastically lower the price of going to U of U and a lot of unis offer great transfer scholarships.

A lot of people like to shit on Community Colleges, but more often than not you will learn just as much, if not more than you would in your uni gen ed classes with 200 people with them. Class sizes are smaller, which means classes are taught by professors, not TA's. Many community college professors are people who used to teach at uni, but care more about teaching than research.
Apr 18 2021 5:03PM
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Lonely
Posts: 6076 - Karma: 48,202
DolansLebensraumCollege in america is a fucking joke unless ur doing something like engineering. And even then there are lots of engineering programs around that are cheap. Go to a trade school. Or get a ski resort job and sell drugs on the side.


Engineering is a solid investment, but it is quickly becoming oversaturated. Getting an engineering degree is the new version of getting a business degree in the 70s and 80s. Too many people started doing it and in many cases now a business degree is worthless. People have to understand that with how the market is now, you have to do some big things to differentiate yourself from the million other engineering grads around the country.
Apr 18 2021 5:07PM
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Notaskibum
Posts: 848 - Karma: 3,966
LonelyEngineering is a solid investment, but it is quickly becoming oversaturated. Getting an engineering degree is the new version of getting a business degree in the 70s and 80s. Too many people started doing it and in many cases now a business degree is worthless. People have to understand that with how the market is now, you have to do some big things to differentiate yourself from the million other engineering grads around the country.


This is not true at all. Starting entry level software engineers make 100k+ if they can pass some leetcode problems.
Apr 18 2021 8:42PM
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Lonely
Posts: 6076 - Karma: 48,202
NotaskibumThis is not true at all. Starting entry level software engineers make 100k+ if they can pass some leetcode problems.


Where did I say you couldn't make money? I said more people are going into engineering, which is why doing things to differentiate yourself is important. Too many people go to college thinking that as long as they get an engineering degree and have a 2.5 gpa, then they will be given some 6 figure job. It's just not how it works in engineering, or any other degree really. More so now, than in the past. It is becoming an increasingly popular path of study, and a popular "safe" choice for people. Unfortunately, that also means that it will become more competitive.

When you say that "This is not true at all" were you talking about me saying that an engineering degree is a solid investment?
Apr 18 2021 9:06PM
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zoinked
Posts: 240 - Karma: 1,356
Gap years are great, but you have to be determined to get back into school. I moved from SC to Utah after high school and was planning on a 1 year stay there but ended up being two. The idea of college was slowly moved to the back of my brain as I was starting to like working the jobs I had and was comfortable where I was at with life. That being said I did plan to go school and after those two years I went back for a semester and realized that I kinda lost that drive I used to have in school. If you are serious about going to college after a gap year just be ready to get back into school life because it’s going to be tough getting back into the swing of things. I’m 22 and have yet to really complete a year of college, but the times just not right for me I guess. The memories I have from those gap years are ones that’ll last a lifetime though so I wouldn’t change a thing.
Apr 19 2021 12:28PM
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crimeenthusiast
Posts: 638 - Karma: 2,116
I moved to SLC for a gap year after my first year of school at UWM. It was the best thing i've done for myself. I ended up taking 2 years off, then enrolled at Salt Lake Community College. SLCC is half to a third the price of U of U and has much smaller class sizes. Everything transfers well from SLCC to U of U too. First semester back was rough, but if you try at school and find good study habits, you can get back into the swing of things. I work at a restaurant in SLC and thats been paying me well enough to live and have enough time to ski / go to class.
May 30 2021 1:51PM
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