Gap Year Between High School and College: Why It is Necessary

College tuition is too damn high! Especially now, with the pandemic, education is almost all online, there is almost no reason to pay five figures for online courses. 
Even before the pandemic, many students take a gap year before going off to college. While many people think of a gap year with negative connotations, in reality, a gap year can turn things around for you completely for the better!
Get to see the world from a different perspective
​When you’re in a continuous rut and are only focused on your education, at times, you forget about the world you’re living in. This doesn’t mean that you go in isolation and don’t have any contact with the outside world. Instead, you’re too focused on your education that you overlook everything else. 
Going on a gap year will help you gain valuable insight into how the world works and understand it better. Many times, you will come up with sound solutions on how to change your lifestyle live a more impactful life. 
Gain valuable career experience
A gap year doesn’t mean that you have to go out partying every day and not do anything productive. A gap year is essential to help you be more productive than ever before. You can opt for a variety of internships or apply for different jobs that interest you to gain valuable career experience. This way, when you enter your college life, you will have some practical knowledge about how things work and also many connections. 
You can learn independence
What’s a better way to know how your real-life will look like than taking a gap year and getting things done without asking others for help. Traveling, volunteering, or working will teach you so much about managing everything. From managing money to managing time, you will be able to understand how to go about everything and work efficiently. 
Reduced chances of burnout
Take a break from the back-to-back exams and a similar pattern of school life. Heading to college should be a fresh and new experience for you, and if you take a gap year, this can help make sure it stays that way. You will be able to make sure that you don’t burn out with the excessive college workload as soon as you enter college life. Your academic stress will balance out, and you will stay clear of burnout. 
Develop new life skills
Utilize this time to develop a new skill and add it to your resume. This will add an edge to your overall profile and make you stand out amongst others in college once your gap year ends. New skills are always beneficial and can help you in a variety of ways throughout your life. 
Improved performance 
You will find yourself more active and wanting to do things more efficiently as time passes. Once you enter college after a gap year, you will be much more motivated and eager to learn. Therefore, you’ll find that your overall performance has also improved drastically. 
A gap year can be quite a life-changing decision and probably the best one you’ll make before college. It can help you get a more in-depth perspective on how things work and help you grasp the college life better. 

Reference:
https://www.valuecolleges.com/guides/gap-year/#:~:text=Taking%20a%20gap%20year%20before%20college%20will%20allow%20you%20to,take%20your%20education%20more%20seriously
https://www.forbes.com/sites/robertfarrington/2019/06/10/heres-every-reason-you-should-take-a-gap-year-before-college/#5624fe161ac8