As the start of college approaches, many parents are asking: Should my freshman take a gap year? Is the hefty price tag worth a potentially online semester? And should incoming freshmen risk this COVID semester as their first college experience?

As a college instructor, my viewpoint is biased. I won’t deny that I still think an in-person and even somewhat online college education is better than no college. College, I believe, is still worth it this semester. 

However, I realize that college comes with tremendous cost to parents and comes with tremendous investment from students. Your hesitation to send your incoming freshman to college is legitimate and probably wise.

So is attending college during a pandemic worth it? Below are 4 reasons beginning the college years is still worthwhile, even during a worldwide pandemic.

Adversity breeds character.

Times of discomfort, inconvenience, and difficulty challenge your freshman to “step up to the plate.” In these times, your child is pushed outside of their comfort zone. When here, growth begins (or continues).

Personal growth often results from facing obstacles, even in your child. If you desire your incoming freshman to have strong character—to be a hard worker, to live with integrity, to act with kindness, etc.—this semester may actually be the perfect time for them to start school. 

In reality, your freshman is already starting the process of becoming an adult. While this process can take years, you can help move him along. How? Let them enter a semester filled with pitfalls and challenges.

In my post “How to Help Your Soon-to-Be College Freshman Behave Like an Adult,” I discuss the role failure has in maturing:

“Failure is difficult to watch without also stepping in to fix the problem, especially when your child is the one failing . . .

While you wish you could step in and prevent [them] from failing, your child’s transformation into an adult will not happen if you remove consequences. Failure teaches your child lessons [they] would otherwise struggle to learn . . .

Removing obstacles or consequences does little to help your child face mistakes in the future. [They] needs to learn how to work through personal failures now in the somewhat controlled environment of college. Work to take a step back rather than step in. These times are learning opportunities for your child.”

Though amidst a pandemic may not seem like the right time to send your child to college, the “‘perfect” time may never come. As much as you may want to prevent unnecessary struggle for your child, preventing struggling through a challenging semester may actually do more to hold back your child than to help them succeed.

Hard-work matters now more than ever.

After a stressful and strenuous senior year of high school, taking a year off of college may seem like a necessary measure. You, as a parent, have to gauge what is best for your child. (Including your child in this choice is probably wise too [see concluding paragraph].)

Taking a year off for the sake of having some time off, however, may actually be a sign your child should enter into college (excluding ongoing mental and physical health issues). This formative time of life is typically a wonderful time to push forward, to keep climbing, to move onward—rather than taking a rest.

This upcoming school year will require tremendous hard-work and determination. You cannot fabricate or replicate this semester, and you cannot fabricate the ways in which this semester will push your child to dig in and work hard.

While demonstrating diligence can do much to instill character in your freshman, experience is often the best teacher. Working a job while living at home this school year may do much to teach your child hard work. However, working hard at college and away from home will likely teach your child more.

Adulthood presses on.

Delaying college will not delay your child’s desire to be an adult. The desire to be an independent entity won’t stop. The desire to make their own choices, live their own lifestyle, and pursue skills and opportunities won’t halt at home.

If anything, delaying college may actually delay your child’s ability to act and think like an adult. With few to no adult decisions to make, your child may feel slightly stuck or lost. With few to no adult responsibilities, your child may feel useless or purposeless. 

Moving into a state of having their own friends, choices, environment, and more is typical at this stage of life. As a result, delaying or denying these parts of adulthood may harm your child’s confidence and discourage growth.

Adulthood won’t wait. Your child’s desire to be and act like an adult shouldn’t have to either. And college may be the best way to help your child grow in ability and confidence.

An educational gap year is probably unlikely.

In my opinion, gap years should be utilized by more high school graduates. As a college instructor, I have all too often seen freshmen aimlessly wander through college courses. Without purpose, a sense of direction, or a desire to pursue a skillset, these students would have greatly benefit from taking a gap year.

Gap years, however, should be stretching and educational experiences. A truly beneficial gap year does not look like simply living at home while working a retail or food service job. A truly beneficial gap year looks like hands-on, real world life-experience. It often includes living in a foreign country or taking part in a full-time program.

An educational gap year is unlikely to occur amidst a pandemic. With international travel being off-limits or strongly discouraged, your child will not be able to reap the benefits of living out of the country. With growing pandemic concerns, many gap-year programs within the country present the same issues a college campus may. Add to these factors the daily changes in government restrictions and requirements and attending an effective gap-year seems unlikely.

Without structure, a sense of purpose, or a goal your child will struggle. Attending college can help to give your child structure, purpose, and a goal to work toward amidst these difficult times.

Deciding whether or not your child should attend college during a pandemic is a stressful decision. Consider including your child in the decision process. After all, this decision deeply impacts their life. Present the pros and cons, make time for discussion, and choose what is best for both you and your child.