The National Public Radio - Higher Education article: How To Have A Successful Gap Year — Tips For Malia Obama And Other High School Grads offers guidance to students thinking of taking a year off before going to college or university.

From the article:

"For a gap year to have a significant impact, it needs to be a transformative event, quite distinct from anything that students have experienced before."

~Jeffrey Selingo, author of the 2016 book There Is Life After College: What Parents and Students Should Know About Navigating School to Prepare for the Jobs of Tomorrow

Abby Falik, founder of Global Citizen Year, a program that combines travel, language learning and service with a capstone project, says she prefers the terms 'bridge year' or 'launchpad' to describe this personal enrichment alternative to going straight from secondary school to college or university.

The choice can be especially beneficial to non-traditional learners who, when given the chance to pursue a passion, can excel in ways they could not have in a classroom.

You can read the full article here.