# Is it a wise choice to take a gap year?

**URL:** <https://experthub.prepscholar.com/t/is-it-a-wise-choice-to-take-a-gap-year/7646>\
**Category:** Answers\
**Tags:** communitycollege\
**Created:** [March 16, 2016, 5:04am UTC](https://experthub.prepscholar.com/t/is-it-a-wise-choice-to-take-a-gap-year/7646 "2016-03-16T05:04:46Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
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**Author:** ![chris\_prepscholar](https://experthub.prepscholar.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/9e8a1a/32.png) [@chris\_prepscholar](https://experthub.prepscholar.com/u/chris_prepscholar)\
**Post date:** [March 16, 2016, 5:04am UTC](https://experthub.prepscholar.com/t/is-it-a-wise-choice-to-take-a-gap-year/7646/1 "2016-03-16T05:04:46Z")

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I'm about to finish my senior year of high school and haven't felt motivated to apply to any colleges. I have been thinking about getting a job and a place out of town to explore new things. Is it a good idea to take a gap year after high school or would it be better to just enroll in community college classes for Fall 2016?

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**Author:** ![sam\_prepscholar](https://experthub.prepscholar.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/41988e/32.png) [@sam\_prepscholar](https://experthub.prepscholar.com/u/sam_prepscholar)\
**Post date:** [March 16, 2016, 9:35am UTC](https://experthub.prepscholar.com/t/is-it-a-wise-choice-to-take-a-gap-year/7646/2 "2016-03-16T09:35:54Z")

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Gap years can be awesome for students who want to get a little more life experience before heading off to college. However, **you should think a bit more about why you're taking a gap year and what you want to learn or accomplish in that time before rushing into a decision.** It sounds like your plans are still pretty nebulous at the moment, which doesn't necessarily mean it's a bad idea, but you should seriously consider what you plan to do in the next year to advance your long-term goals or engage in meaningful self-reflection.

There are lots of online resources that will give you advice for navigating this decision. **[Here's a helpful rundown of the pros and cons of gap years](https://www.collegeconfidential.com/dean/000308/) with examples of organizations you might consult for help in planning your year off, whether you spend it working, studying, travelling, or something else entirely.** If you can't figure out a plan that excites you and don't feel like you're dying for a break from schoolwork, it might be a better idea to go to college and potentially take a gap year a little farther down the road. Still, **this is definitely a feasible option that will give you time to grow as a person and defray some of the costs of higher education before committing to a program.**