As seniors scramble to find their roommates and gather belongings for  their dorms, senior Rebecca Imhoff is packing her bags to go to Hawaii. Next year, she plans to go to Hawaii and work on an organic farm. Imhoff’s work on the farm will be in exchange for free food and housing.

According to college coordinator David Boyle, a gap year is a year that is “traditionally taken between high school and college [in which a student does] something that may have an academic component to it but usually has a life experience or life growth component to it.”

“I wanted to take a break from school,” said Imhoff. “I knew I wouldn’t be ready to go to school next year and I figured, ‘If I’m going to be taking a gap year, I might as well be doing something I’ve always wanted to do, [which is working in nature].’”

Imhoff said she always wanted to go on an adventure and she saw going to Hawaii as the perfect opportunity because she could learn about sustainability there, which has always been an interest of hers.

“This is me taking some time off and taking a break from school, but at the same time enjoying that time off, learning to grow as an individual and learning to be completely independent,” Imhoff said.

Senior Danah Kirsh also plans to take an alternative path toward college. She said she hopes to grow as an individual and “find herself” through the program, Nativ, which takes place in Israel.

According to Kirsh, Nativ is a “college leadership program.” She plans on studying at Hebrew University in Jerusalem for four and a half months and then later living in an apartment in a small suburb with other members of the program. She said that in the suburb, she plans on teaching children of all ages English.

“This is a time in my life when I can just go for a year and not have worries about finance or a job or anything like that,” said Kirsh. “It’s a really good time to take this opportunity.”

Kirsh discovered this program through a presentation in her Hebrew class. She remembers hearing about different gap year programs and she thought that taking a gap year could be interesting. She said at first she was nervous, but after doing some research, she discovered that Nativ would be the “life changing experience” for which she was looking.

“[A gap year] provides the student the opportunity to grow in areas that maybe they haven’t been able to tap into during their typical high school experience,” said Boyle.  “It allows them to see the world and learn the world through experiences.”

Kirsh said she wanted to learn about herself next year and even though it was difficult for her to decide on Nativ, she knew that this program was the best option for her.

“I thought, ‘What sounds exciting next year? To go to college or to do this?’” said Kirsh. “As excited as I am for college after, this is what stood out in my mind.”

Kirsh plans to attend the University of Iowa in 2015 and enter as a sophomore because her credits from Nativ will transfer.

Even though most of her friends are talking about their college plans, Imhoff said that it does not really bother her that she is not going to college as well.

“I don’t really mind not going to college right now,” said Imhoff. “I’m supportive of all my friends going to college, but for me I just know I’m not ready. It’s a little weird but you do what’s best for you. Just because everyone else is going to college doesn’t mean you have to go to college. For me, I just know I’m not ready. People know what’s best for them, and that’s why they chose the college that was best for them. And for me, I know what’s best for me and that’s why I’m deciding to take a break from school.”