What Is a Gap Year and Should I Take One?

A gap year is typically a year used after high school graduation but before attending college. You may consider taking a gap year for a variety of reasons, from taking a break from academic studies to discovering more about yourself to figuring out what you’re looking for in the future when it comes to your studies and future career. Spending your time traveling, volunteering, or interning through a gap year can be beneficial in raising your personal and professional awareness. 

Recognizing the benefits of a gap year and discovering how to maximize that time is a good idea when creating a plan for your year. Explore the benefits of a gap year, how to plan for one, and what your options might look like if you are considering taking a break between high school and college. 

What is a gap year?

Sometimes referred to as a sabbatical year, a gap year usually refers to the year between high school and college, but it can also be a break during or after college or graduate school. The time period of a gap year can be 12 months, but it can also be longer or shorter, depending on your next steps.

You may choose to take a gap year break to help you plan the next steps of your future. Many colleges and universities encourage you to still apply to the schools you want to attend, and then you can defer your admittance. If you plan on deferring college and taking a gap year, it’s a good idea to send a letter to the college's director of admissions outlining your plans during your time off. Then, it is up to the admissions committee to decide if they allow a deferral. 

Gap year benefits and considerations

While taking a gap year has many benefits, you want to consider all your options to see what path forward is right for you. 

Benefits

A gap year is a good time to clear your mind from traditional learning, but it is highly recommended to have a concrete plan in place on how to best take advantage of the time off.

One potential benefit of taking a gap year is gaining life experiences while you have the time and opportunity, whether you choose to travel abroad or broaden your horizons at home. By developing life skills during your time off, you can better transition into college and gain invaluable knowledge outside of a classroom setting.

A gap year is also beneficial in helping you figure out what you want to pursue as a future career by discovering what skills of yours are the strongest and where you can fit into your field of interest. By talking to other people outside of your immediate circle in other places or networking with professionals in the field that interests you, you can learn a lot about what you are looking forward to in your future. It can also add to your resume and future job interviews to show that you are well-rounded. 

Things to consider

Take into consideration your academic status when you do decide to enter college. You may be behind other students in terms of credits. If you decide to go down a path during your gap year where you can earn credits, these may not necessarily count toward the allotted credits you need to graduate, so check with your school. 

If you take credits during your gap year, you may be entering as a transfer student instead of a freshman at your college, which can affect getting into your major, your housing options, and more. 

Being out of practice in the academic arena is also a factor to consider. If doing things on your own schedule is your norm, attending classes, studying for exams, and having an overall structure may be difficult to return to. 

Gap years are also costly. Traveling abroad and joining structured gap year programs can drain your budget, so it’s important to remember gap years can be abroad or at home, and whatever you do can be supplemented with a job to provide some income while you gain your experiences.

How to plan a gap year

Planning plays a key role when opting to take a gap year. You may see a gap year as time away from structure, but you may still want to put a plan in place to maximize your time. First, take a look at your financial situation. Working full or part-time during a gap year can bring in some income. You may need a way to receive health benefits and pay for basic needs, such as food, gas, transportation, and other costs. 

To best prepare for a gap year, start with a list of what you want to get out of your time, such as goals to fulfill, skills to hone, and experiences that can help you learn more about yourself and what you want in life and a career.

Create an in-depth plan.

While you might be eager to start an activity, it’s always a good idea to devise a plan to maximize your experience. To help devise a plan, consider the following steps:

• Decide how to spend your gap year: Would you prefer to stay close to home or travel abroad? Travel solo or with a structured group? Figure out what works best for you. 

• Make sure you have money for what you want to accomplish: Write down a list of all your anticipated monetary needs, daily meals, transportation, visas, internet, and so on. You may decide to get a part-time job or work remotely. You can also throw a fundraising party or set up a GoFundMe page so others can support your future.

• Research your location: If you are traveling, learn about the area, people, language, and cultures of your destination. Figure out your accommodations and travel transportation between locations. 

• Organize all of your travel essentials: Make sure your passport is up to date, figure out which visas you may need, and buy travel insurance. Figuring these details out early can be very helpful and save you from stressing later.

• Plan your return back into the academic world after your gap year ends: First, take care of obvious tasks at hand, such as having a return flight if you travel away from home, speaking to your school advisor to find out what you need when re-entering school—such as books and program schedule—and having a support system in place. 

Manage your finances. 

A gap year can help or hinder your financial situation. You can use your year to work or do a paid internship in the field you find interesting. This not only allows you to pursue avenues of interest but also gives you the chance to set aside money for tuition, student loans, or discretionary spending for the upcoming year. You can also choose to volunteer in an area related to your field. Although this won’t bring in any cash, you are still saving money in tuition while honing a craft that could prove meaningful in your academic endeavors. 

Be as specific as possible when planning your time off. Whether you are opting to travel, work, or complete an internship, you need to be aware of why you are choosing that particular experience and how it can help you in your future studies. 

Ideas for how to spend your gap year

After you figure out what you can afford, think about the goals you want to achieve during your time off. Think about options that can help you both personally and in your studies. Below are a few ideas.

Traveling 

A popular activity many gap year students participate in is traveling domestically or overseas. This allows you to experience other cultures and learn more about the world. You can do this through organizations or on your own. 

Learning a new language

Whether by online courses, traveling abroad, or learning on your own, being able to speak and understand a different language can be beneficial for your professional future. Not only is it useful in daily life on a social basis, but learning a new language allows you to stand out when applying for jobs in international business or if you plan on working in another country after graduating college. 

Getting a part-time or full-time job 

Working can not only provide you with some income while saving the cost of tuition, but you can also gain experience in different fields. If you pursue a job in your desired field, this can help you learn what areas you excel in, discover new skills, and help you build a professional network. Working can teach you more about your area of interest and available roles. An established network can make it easier to secure letters of recommendation, job connections, and advice. 

Doing an internship

Internships can be a way to see what a professional life in your field requires. While some internships offer a stipend, many are unpaid. Although internships can help in deciding your field of choice, if finances are tight, it may be a good idea to check with your admissions board if you can gain credits.

Gap year resources

If volunteering interests you, look into these areas to see what is a good fit for you and your education: 

• If you are looking locally, VolunteerMatch helps you decide ways to spend your time volunteering or working at a non-profit in your area, depending on your interests.

• AmeriCorps is an option for you to help communities across America using your skills for service while learning more about yourself and growing as a person. 

• If you want to immerse yourself in other cultures, check out ProjectsAbroad, which offers programs tailored to your specific goals and career interests.

If you plan to work full or part time during your gap year, check with your college counselor or the career center of your future university if they have any leads on where you can look. 

Next steps

A gap year is an experience that you can tailor to your individual preferences, budget, and timeline. If you are not sure what career path to head down or if you have the required skills, check out the many options on Coursera to see what’s available in your field of interest and find out if it is the right fit for you. 

As a gap year student, some good ideas for where to begin include The University of Pennsylvania’s online Success course, part of the Achieving Personal and Professional Success Specialization, which focuses on goal setting and personal development, and Macquarie University’s Career Planning: Your career, your life course, which helps you design a career path that works with your skill set and creates an action plan to meet your goals.