The traditional educational ladder from kindergarten to college in the United States of America is now changing and there is a new twist in planning for your future. Today MSNBC writer Danielle Woods said, “A growing number of high school seniors refuse to ride the academic conveyor belt from kindergarten through college. They are burned. Or not quite ready. Or they want to explore some interests before deciding what to study at university” (Woods). The free time he is referring to is the Gap Year, a period of time ranging from six months to two or three years to experience life. A gap year can be viewed as travel time, participation in gap year programs, volunteer work, or simply working to save for college. The gap year is a time for those who aren't ready or accepted to college to prepare for the future, gain skills and experience. Not only is Gap Year effective, but now colleges and employers are pushing high school students to take time off. Gap Year should be an American tradition because it helps you succeed. For those students who are not yet ready to make a decision that will affect the rest of their lives, Gap Year is an opportunity to mature and discover themselves. If students are launched into college life too early, Woods' studies have shown that “three out of five students who enter a public four-year college fail to earn a degree within five years. And nearly 30 percent of all students who enter college do not return for their second year” (Wood). Not only were academic results unwanted, but parents equally “…don't see those (their) children drinking excessively or dropping out or doing any of those things that show they are in the wrong place at the wrong time…. .. middle of paper ......studies 14.3 (2011): 341-357. Premier of academic research. EBSCO. Network. April 4, 2011.MacDonald, Jeffrey G. “Gap Year Before College Gives Graduates Valuable Life Experience.” USA Today 18 June 2008: n. page Network. April 4, 2011. .Sparks, Sarah D. and Kay Dorko. “Scholars suggest that adding a 'gap year' could encourage college completion.” Education Week 30.4 (2010): 12-13. Premier of academic research. EBSCO. Network. April 4, 2011.Stehlik, Tom. “Focus on the Gap: Early School Leaving Aspirations and Delayed Pathways to Further and Higher Education.” Journal of Education and Labor 23.4 (2010): 363-376. Premier of academic research. EBSCO. Network. April 4, 2011. Wood, Danielle. "Should your child have a 'gap year' before college? ." Today Parenting 22 April 2008: n. page Network. April 4 2011. .