Some believe that taking a gap year leads to stunted student academic success and too late of a start. They fear it will lead to students not attending college or grad school in the long run. However, students who have taken a successful gap year can testify to its academic benefits.

There are many positives to taking a gap year. Some of the top nine reasons students benefit from taking a gap year include being able to enjoy the experience of relaxing after high school, being able to improve college applications, embracing independence and finding ways to set yourself up for success through planning your college route.

Munira Maricar, a writer who is pro-gap year, provides other examples, saying students would be “saving money, able to apply for internships, healing from past academic burnout, developing different skills and finding new interests and passions.”

Another option, if you don’t want to take a traditional gap year, includes programs that don’t take place in a traditional academic setting, such as a semester at sea. I have run into a couple individuals who have graduated college who praised their gap year or started with a gap year before they got into school in some of my classes this last year. One student got to sail across the ocean and earn up to 12 credits for college with the semester at sea program.

Interviews were posted on the Semester at Sea website about their experience. Melissa Moore is a semester at sea student who had been interviewed for their website. “Having sailed the first time as a gap year student, I had no idea what to expect. The hands-on and tangible learning experiences are something that I later found were unmatched on a typical college campus,” Moore said.

Emily Mourning took a gap year during college at the University of Oregon to figure out what she wanted to do for a degree. Her gap year was during COVID-19, which gave her time to re-evaluate and let things settle before returning to campus. A gap year wasn’t traditionally a part of her plan, but she says that her break made her appreciate school much more.

She said she gained a lot from a gap year.

“I was able to get in-state residency during my gap year so that I could qualify for in-state tuition. I also got to see what it was like to have a full-time job, which is something many students won’t experience until they graduate,” Mourning said. “Independence being the biggest one, I learned what it’s like to pay real bills on your own and how to make friends outside of a school environment.”

Mourning also said she gained a lot more self-knowledge during her gap year. “I learned about my life’s priorities and got an opportunity to set realistic goals for my future and gained a larger appreciation for higher education,” Mourning said.

Some of Mourning’s greatest memories included working at Dutch Bros and meeting new people who she is still close with.

I debated on taking a gap year before attending UO, primarily because I wanted to save more money for tuition and housing since living in the dorms is required in your first year. Although I jumped right in, I now realize that it might have been the smarter option for me to take a gap year. That is the same case for many people.

Don’t let the stigma overcome your idea of taking a gap year either before or during college because, for some individuals, it is a very smart choice. Saving money, discovering yourself, internships, building your resume or even relieving yourself of burnout doesn’t matter. There are plenty of benefits to be had when taking a gap year.