For many students, a year away from academics after four years of high school sounds really appealing, and colleges seem to like it as well. According to CNBC, taking a gap year between high school and college is a growing trend in the United States. Students who take gap years often come back refreshed and more motivated; they are also likely to graduate with a higher GPA than they would have otherwise.

The reasons that students take a gap year vary from person to person. According to CNBC, some students take a gap year for financial reasons––they need to take a year to raise money so that they can afford to go to college. Some want to spend the year volunteering; others spend it gaining experience by working at an internship or by traveling and experiencing other cultures. Additionally, some spend the year training for college sports, usually looking to be scouted.

Many universities support all of these options. The main thing to consider when looking at whether or not taking a gap year is the right choice is examining what that year will be used for.. Provided that it involves doing something productive or gaining experiences that will help going forward in life it’s a good idea. That said, if it’s going to involve just playing Xbox, then maybe it’s not such a good idea.

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According to Huffington Post, many prestigious universities also support students who take gap years. CNBC says that Princeton, for one, offers a nine-month Bridge Year for incoming freshmen who want to volunteer abroad, during which they don’t have to pay tuition. Even so, students should be careful as not all colleges support taking a gap year; in fact, according to  CNBC, some disallow it all together.

Another great thing about taking a gap year is it can give students extra time to discover their interests away from the bustle of high school. If a student is unsure about what he/she wants to major in, taking a gap year can be a great way to look into what would be best for them. For example, taking an internship with a company in the field that a student plans on majoring in can help determine if that would be a good fit for them.

Provided students do something productive with their time, a gap year is perfect. It can help students get a handle on what they want to do in college and to gain important life experience before they get bogged down with school again. Gap years can look good on resumes and give students the chance to explore the world in a way they may never get the opportunity to again.