Whether you are a high school student, a college freshman, or getting ready to receive your Bachelor's degree, taking a gap year can be beneficial. Despite only now gaining popularity in North America, taking a gap year (or two!) has been the norm in Europe for much of the late 20th and early 21st century.
Many Americans still view gap years as something lazy or absurdly rich students do to avoid responsibility. In reality, gap years are an opportunity to accomplish a multitude of ventures not possible during high school: Saving money for college, getting valuable real-world work experience, volunteering for something you are passionate about, even studying a subject you never previously had a chance to explore. Need more convincing?

1. Years of research shows that students who take gap years do better in college and in life.

Bob Clagett, former Dean of Admissions of Middlebury College, recorded and analyzed the GPAs of students who did and did not take gap years. His work reveals that gap year students had higher average GPAs with high statistical significance.

This statistically significant difference in GPA persists for all four years of an undergraduate student's academic career, meaning that gap years provide years of personal and academic benefits.

Side note: Most colleges allow students to take up to 8 credits during their gap year(s); that means you can take a couple classes online or at a community college, saving you time and money when you actually get to the university.

2. Gap year alums report higher personal and career satisfaction.

After taking a year or more off, students claim to have clearer views of their career goals. Additionally, those who take gap years tend to have higher income and greater employability. This likely results from having gained work experience, as well as generally becoming more responsible and self-reliant: Living on your own and managing your own financial situation without parental aid gives you a major edge over lost-puppy undergrads who have never done their own laundry.

Moreover, working part- or full-time allows you to gain valuable skills that make you a better hire and a better student. During my own gap year, I learned how to use a multi-line phone system, mastered multitasking, and gained proficiency in several different ubiquitous computer applications (e.g., OpenTable, Microsoft Excel, Micros and other POS). Through working and learning on my own, improved my language skills in Spanish and Arabic, met people from around the world. Also, I read – a lot. By gaining these abilities, you set yourself apart from inexperienced new workers, add to your resume, and acquire the ability to adult properly.

3. Academic success stems from better mental health.

Above: What you can avoid by taking a gap year.

Many high school graduates who move on to four-year colleges face severe academic burnout. Going directly from high school to the pressures of college without sufficient time to unwind can lead to loss of interest in academics, poor social life, even anxiety and depression. By taking a year off, you allow yourself to refresh your mind, rejuvenate your existing interests or find new pursuits, learn something on your own time, perhaps even go to therapy or coaching to learn some emotional and academic coping skills. Most importantly, taking a gap year will ensure that you won't drop out of college – academic burnout is one of the biggest factors for dropouts.

4. People do better in life when they are well-traveled and motivated.

Gap years for those with extra cash often entails volunteering or traveling to other countries. Many European and Australian students spend some of their year off backpacking through Europe, Latin America, or even Africa. Some students also use a few months to improve their language skills in cultural immersion programs.

To boot, gap year students end up more mature, well-informed, and ahead of other students their age. This is especially true if you do as much as you can on your own.

5. Top universities know the value of gap years – and reward those who take one.

Universities like Princeton, Tufts, Harvard, Florida State University, University of Rochester, and MIT encourage gap years and some even have funded programs for students that wish to take one.

Tufts has its 1+4 Service Learning Program, which allows students to take a partially funded pre-college gap year involving extensive community service. Yale University's CIPE provides students with the tools and resources for a productive gap year. University of Rochester offers two different fully-funded post-graduate educational gap years: Under its KEY program, students can take the year to undertake entrepreneurial endeavors with the Simon Business School; Take Five Scholars have the chance to learn whatever they want for a year at the university.

6. College is expensive. Really expensive.

Many students elect to take a semester or year off before or in the middle of college to save money. In 2016, student debt is at an historic high, and undergrads want to reduce loans in any way possible. In fact, multiple universities in the United

Kingdom require students to take a year off to participate in work-study programs. While few U.S. universities offer this type of program, you can always take the year off to earn as much as possible. Personally, I earned so much money as a hostess and tutor during my year off that I was able to reject all private and federal loans!

Furthermore, there are myriad foundations that offer gap year scholarships or subsidies. We need to take advantage of all the help we can get.

7. You probably have no idea what you want to do.

While college definitely is conducive to figuring out what you want to do, a lot of undergraduates still change their majors or doubt their academic path. The American Gap Year Association reports via an independent study that students who take gap years end up finding a completely new passion or their experience confirms their previous desired major. This is largely due to those taking a year off discovering, perhaps participating in, fields or careers of which they had never previously heard.

8. Malia Obama is taking a gap year.

Harvard student, social butterfly, intelligent being, global political force. Need I say more?

Overall, taking a gap year is one of the best decisions you can make – financially, academically, and emotionally.