Gap year is the term used to refer to the year after a student graduates from high school and before the student does not enroll in a college. Sometimes students also take a gap year between academic years. For many students leaving high school, a gap year is a much-welcomed break, but it can also be a cause of frustration for others depending on how the time is planned and managed. This can be a way to take a well-deserved rest while gaining momentum for the next level of academic life, or it can be a time to catch up on various home-related matters. Many secondary school leavers have also taken advantage of this short break from mainstream school to explore activities away from home that were previously out of reach. However, great care should be taken when planning the gap year to avoid frustration. Many students, due to ambitious gap year plans, have found themselves involved in activities they never planned. To avoid frustrations and disappointments, it is necessary for the student to evaluate and reevaluate the reasons that justify the need for change. It is also healthy to ensure that the available time is spent in a way that meets the goals of the break. This article discusses the gap year taken by students between high school and college. Taking a gap year between high school and college After many years of studying from kindergarten to high school, a break from the monotony of tests, assessments and rankings that characterize normal school life can be a very good idea. For many students, the gap year after graduating from high school and before enrolling in college has become a favored way to escape all the competition and pressures of American college life. O'Shea arg... middle of paper ... students are not deceived by the experience of continuing their education. Works Cited Boles, Blake. Better than college: How to build a successful life without a four-year degree. Narrate Peak Press, 2012. Print.Morgan, Geneviève. Undecided: Navigating Life After High School. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2014. Print. O’Shea, Joseph. How delaying college changes people in ways the world needs. JHU Press, 2013. Print. Silivanch, Annalize. Make the right choice of university: technical, 2 years, 4 years. The Rozen Publishing Group, 2010. Print. Springer, Sally P, John Reider and Joyce Morgan. Admissions Matters: What Students and Parents Need to Know to Get into College. John Wiley & Sons, 2013. Print.White, Kristin M. The Complete Gap Year Guide: The Best Things to Do Between High School and College. John Wiley & Sons, 2009. Print.