In the final weeks of Senior year, the sunshine seems further away than ever. Exams are over, grades are (mostly) in, and graduation slowly comes to fruition. You’ve spent twelve years doing homework, studying for exams, and trying to make time for your hobbies. Only having three months between the end of a 12-year commitment and the beginning of a 2 to 4-year commitment may sound like a nightmare to some students; fortunately, taking a gap-year is an option.

Gap years can be an economical and practical choice for many people. Having this extra year may allow students to gain perspective on what they are really searching for from their education, which will allow them to go in taking the right classes with the right mindset. More often than not, Seniors commit to a major and go to school already realizing it may not be for them. By taking a year off to find your passions, you’ll cut down on coursework, tuition bills, and unneeded stress. Many schools, including Harvard, agree with the idea of taking a gap year and even encourage students to take them because they heighten engagement in the classroom (Harvard even suggests taking a gap year in their acceptance letters). Some schools – Princeton and the University of North Carolina – offer scholarships to freshmen who take gap years if they use it working, traveling, or volunteering. In 2015, Tufts university introduced a program called “The 1+4 Bridge Program”, which offers gap year opportunities, like volunteering overseas, for students “regardless of [the student’s] ability to pay” (Tufts University).

While taking a gap year is certainly not right for each individual student, it can be extremely beneficial for students who had difficulty with motivation in high school. According to a study conducted at Harvard, students who took a gap year had .5-1.5 change in GPA from what they were expected to get given their high school grades.

Having the opportunity to travel and experience the world before committing to the rest of your life may reduce stress rates and boost enthusiasm to finally begin freshman year, the right way. Although a gap year may be detrimental to some students, and even encourage some to never get back to school, it can motivate some of the brightest brains and be a life-changing experience.