Editing Gap year (section)

{{Short description|Year-long break from college/university}}
{{About|taking a break between two stages of formal education|TV series|Gap Year (TV series)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}

A '''gap year''', also known as a '''sabbatical year''', is a period of time when students take a break from their studies, usually after completing high school or before beginning graduate school. During this time, students engage in a variety of educational and developmental activities, such as traveling, working, volunteering, or taking courses.<ref>{{cite web |last=Taormina |first=Tricia |date=4 April 2013 |title=What's a Gap Year Before College (& Should You Take One)? |url=http://www.hercampus.com/high-school/preparing-college/whats-gap-year-college-should-you-take-one |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150809124400/http://www.hercampus.com/high-school/preparing-college/whats-gap-year-college-should-you-take-one |archive-date=9 August 2015 |access-date=6 December 2014 |work=Her Campus}}</ref> Gap years are not limited to a year-long break and can range from several months to a few years.

The activities undertaken during a gap year vary widely and depend on the individual's interests and goals. Some students may take courses to improve their academic skills in areas such as math or language studies, while others may learn a trade, pursue art, or participate in sports.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Rashid |first1=Haroon |last2=Kibble |first2=Jonathan D. |date=2021-12-01 |title=Understanding reasons for electing gap years between undergraduate education and medical school and the impact of gap years on the student experience of medical education |journal=Advances in Physiology Education |volume=45 |issue=4 |pages=886–894 |doi=10.1152/advan.00059.2021 |issn=1043-4046 |pmid=34618627 |doi-access=free |s2cid=238474903}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Martin |first=Andrew J. |date=2010 |title=Should students have a gap year? Motivation and performance factors relevant to time out after completing school. |url=http://doi.apa.org/getdoi.cfm?doi=10.1037/a0019321 |journal=Journal of Educational Psychology |language=en |volume=102 |issue=3 |pages=561–576 |doi=10.1037/a0019321 |issn=1939-2176|url-access=subscription }}</ref>  Volunteer work is also a popular choice, as it allows students to give back to their communities and gain valuable experience. Students may also choose to work to save up money, either to fund their gap year activities or to prepare for future educational and personal expenses.

Research suggests that students who take a gap year tend to perform better academically than those who do not. However, some parents may worry that their children will continue deferring their education, rather than resuming studies at the end of the initially-planned period.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Miller |first1=jennifer |title=The Academic and Career Advantages of Taking a Gap Year |url=https://www.noodle.com/articles/the-academic-and-career-advantages-of-taking-a-gap-year190 |access-date=25 April 2018 |website=noodle.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2010-08-20 |title=Gap year advice for parents: Are they a good thing? |language=en-GB |journal=The Daily Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/hubs/gapyear/7956017/Gap-year-advice-for-parents-Are-they-a-good-thing.html |access-date=2018-08-23 |issn=0307-1235}}</ref>