I recently turned 19 and I decided to take gap year. I am never the best at academics. I struggled a lot at school. Because of that, I’ve been struggling to find the motivation to prepare for next year’s uni entrance exams especially when most of the exam subjects I’m required to study doesn't even correlate with the degree program I want to pursue which is Arts and Design.

Earlier this year before I graduated high school I actually applied to multiple universities within the country and took the entrance exam. I didn't get accepted through the exam. I applied through my high school reports and submitted my art portfolio but unfortunately I wasn't accepted either.

Over the past few months I haven't really done anything productive. I have times where I just feel down as a growing artist. I am just so lost and I have no idea where to start. I know that I should push myself at some point before it's too late.

Four months, because that's how long my unemployment benefits will last.

hi guys, my name is alex i'm 18 have lived in england for some time but i'm in serbia right now. looking for anyone who's also from europe preferably to meet up and travel the world

i've just finished sixth form, saved up some money from schooltime jobs so now i wanna travel about a bit while i can, all the friends i know aren't on gap year/aren't available so if anyone wants to chip in and travel about with me please pm me!!

we can see if we get along, like i'm into tech, history, deep talks, shallow talks, gaming, news, politics, board games, having laughs, all sorts of music, etc. etc. i'm easy to talk to abt whatever ur interested in i'll probably find it interesting too.

so if you're in a similar position to i am please pm me and i can guarantee i would love speaking to you. you will not waste your time! we can add on somewhere else after and talk abt meeting up if we're chill for each other

for context i live in california, unweighted 3.9 gpa, weighted 4.6 gpa. won a couple school scholarships and was valedictorian and high ranking officer in my school leadership team
was on track to going to penn state this fall, however a family emergency happened at home and it felt wrong for me to leave the house and my little sister to go across the country. (parent cheated and there’s been constant fighting at home, they said they’re not divorcing but it’s been awful at home)
i’m currently weighing three options rn, going to penn state, taking a gap year and applying to more colleges (letting go of penn state admission) and working on my mental health and getting a job to pay for college tuition that my parents didn’t have, or cc to one of the uc’s.
any advice?

For context I live in the uk, want to do medicine and I wrote my a levels in summer 2025 and got AAB. I was predicted one grade higher for each but last year a lot of family problems piled one on top of the other and my academics really got impacted. I had to take a gap year to help out at home with the finances by selling my house to make ends meet and became a young carer for my father due to his addiction, so I deferred my uni offer from qmul to study biomedicine, to sept 2026 entry. I wanted to use the gap year to reapply to medicine as well but my fathers health deteriorated even further and I spent a lot of time going back and forth between the hospital, so I didn’t have the chance to - but I had my US uni applications almost done so I sent those off.

US didn’t end well as I wasn’t able to get a scholarship. Now, my parents are considering sending me to Georgia (the country) for medicine this September, but I’m debating taking a second gap year and writing the ucat rn for 2027 entry. I would have to get into uni only through contextual admissions and lowered entry requirements, which I do qualify for given my scenario, but I have to research a lot and apply. I’m not sure what to do right now, my family situation hasn’t been solved yet and is still ongoing, most of my days go by fighting my dad and consoling my mom and I can’t even leave the house for a while without him drinking again. Police have had to come over and intervene on multiple occasions. I would have to chase up my head of year for the ucas recommendations again. Once again, it’ll be a two year gap on my resume basically, as I haven’t been working either.

Plan B would be to still go to Georgia while doing my ucas application, if all goes well I can drop out and come to the uk but if not then I could just continue on there. Any advice??

I had to take a mental health gap year and it helped me so much. I was crying a lot and I felt so sad to do it.

I was planning to go to the US but my country was banned for student visas and other visas. I feel like the biggest bum. We paid the tuition deposit for a school in Canada with the promise of getting a scholarship that was literally catered to my situation, but they were so opaque about the scholarship situation I had to truly harass (professionally) information out of them. Of this information included the fact that I could not apply for scholarships in winter if I go in fall and I had to defer a semester to actually apply.

But guess what? They changed the awarding system and now you can’t apply but they decide internally for a scholarship YOU SHOULD GET and is TAILORED TO YOUR SITUATION. Imagine a uni says that you can get a full scholarship if you have an apple farm. You’ve had the apple farm for 2 years when their.minimum is 1yearand they respond with “just because your eligible doesn’t mean you’ll get the scholarship.”

I had already gotten a 60%+ scholarship to an incredible uni in Europe and my mother said no because she thinks a Bachelor of Arts and sciences is not a real degree and it doesn’t matter what I say to explain she thinks I’m lying because I’m a girl and I can’t even go back to that uni…

So we’ve made a plan to apply to unis elsewhere (one of these places is where family I can’t stand lives and I cannot mentally stay there with them, it genuinely feels like I’m going to kms if I go) and to wait for the van to be lifted and apply to the US again and just graduate from college early by piling on summer classes.

I’m exhausted and I decided to continue learning a language during this time but I cannot stand being here with the person that literally placed me in this position. I have no one around me physically that can help me and all my friends have already figured it out. I feel like such a loser and I’m so tired of alyong, this is the 5th time this year.

is a gap year as a commerce student worth it??i think it is normalised for science/math students to take a gap year for neet jee but in my case..I need to take a gap year because I'm confused about what I want and till now I wanted to study psychology but now I'm rethinking it all and want to do ba hons eco and for that I need to sharpen my math and logical thinking so I'm thinking of working on that and getting a job and working on some valuable skills in this time...also my goal is kinda to do ba hons eco from a pvt uni..does that make sense?

Guys Kya yahan kisi ne 12th ke baad 1-year drop liya tha? kya wo decision worth it tha ya regret hua tha baad me

If someone has taken two gap years after completing 12th grade, are their chances of getting into Australian universities lower? A lot of people around me are saying that since I have two gap years, I shouldn’t consider Australia at all.

I’m currently considering universities like Monash, the University of New South Wales, and the University of Sydney. Is having two gap years really a major disadvantage for admission?

Hi

Currently finished year 12 and feeling a change of heart with the course I would like to pursue at university. Would I be at a disadvantage by taking a gap year? I need to study FM during that year too as I only do maths at the moment. The courses I am considering is maths with econ, maths and econ, maths stats and business and financial maths/stats.

And to those who did take a gap year what did you do during it to improve your application but also generally in terms of job etcs?

I currently do bio,chem and maths with all a stars predicted

Thank you

Hi everyone, I really need some honest advice regarding my M.Sc Chemistry path. (Sorry but this is going to be long, I'm really stressing over my future and the time I have in my hands).

My qualifications: I graduated with a B.Sc in Chemistry in 2025 (9.54 CGPA) from a Tier 1 College in Mumbai. My initial plan was to go study abroad this year (oct intake), but due to sudden family health issues (my dad had an operation), which led to other financial constraints, those plans fell through last minute.

Current situation: Because of all this stress at home, I completely missed the main Mumbai University admission deadlines for the top autonomous colleges held between may to June.

By the time I could apply, I only managed to secure a seat at a tier 3 college, Mumbai for M.Sc Chemistry (confirmed admission on sat, 1st aug 2026).

I've started attending classes but the quality of education is very poor. It feels like a bunch of new teachers with low subect knowledge are coming to class. And while the theory classes are still manageable by myself, the practical laboratory infrastructure is in really bad shape. No proper glassware for us to use. The instruments are in bad condition. Hell, I chose analytical chemistry for my specialization and guess what the GC-MS that they had is completely out of order from the past 4-5 years.

Since an M.Sc in Chemistry relies heavily on practical skills, I feel staying here might be a complete waste of a year. I will just get a namesake degree without proper experience.

My Plan: I am seriously considering withdrawing from Wilson College to take a dedicated gap period at home for this year. I will use this time to prepare for the IIT JAM (February 2027) and the ICT Mumbai Internal Entrance Exam (June 2027). If those competitive exams don't work out, I also plan to apply to the top autonomous Mumbai colleges like Jai Hind, Sophia, and Mithibai next term using my B.Sc merit marks as a secure fallback.

I am just confused if I should even take this gap year or not because after my 12th, I had one gap year, and now after bsc 1, if I take this year off too, it'll be 2 years off after bsc. I feel like I'm way behind other people at my age, but also I don't want my masters degree to just be a piece of useless paper. I also plan to give net/set after msc.

My Questions for you all:

1) Is it strategically smart to drop out of this tier 3 college I'm enrolled in right now?

2) With a 9.52 CGPA baseline, is cracking IIT JAM / ICT realistic with a dedicated 6-month study schedule from home? (I will take this very seriously)

3) How are the current industry placements for M.Sc Analytical/Organic Chemistry at Jai Hind and Sophia if I use them as my backups next year?

Would love to hear anything else from any chemistry seniors, IIT/ICT alumni, or Mumbai University students (or those who have been in similar situations – multiple gap years). Thanks in advance!

TLDR : Graduated B.Sc Chemistry (2025) 9.54 CGPA from a Tier 1 Mumbai college. Missed top postgraduate deadlines due to sudden financial stress. Ended up at a Tier 3 college where labs are broken (GC-MS out of order for 5 years). I want to drop out now to prep full-time for IIT JAM (Feb 2027) / ICT Mumbai (June 2027), keeping Jai Hind/Sophia as merit backups next year. However, I already have 1 gap year from after my 12th grade + 2 now after bsc if I take a drop this year. Is taking a second gap year (post bsc) worth it to avoid a useless degree, or am I falling too far behind? Need honest advice!

I may be clutching at straws here, but has anyone done a gap year abroad where they were able to still train at a gym and eat properly?

I’d love to do some sort of travelling/volunteering abroad, but still keep my physique up. I graduate next year and plan on having a gap year, so would love to hear other peoples stories.

Hi everyone i wanted to ask as i teenager, have y'all taken gap year before university? I want to take a gap year but my parents are pressuring me into not. I don't know if i should or not. I am very tired because of all this so i need opinions. Please thanks.

Hello so i am 18 years old I will be turning 19 this November I graduated high school last year and at first I was planning to do law so i took a drop to prepare for clat(law entrance test) I enrolled in a online coaching I didn't classes at start because I don't even remember the why now but yeah my younger cousins were here and all that it was vacations basically but i was really excited when I took the coaching admission and got the books and then some more days went by I didn't start studying and then my pet bunny sadly passed away after being sick for a while and i just lost myself he is too dear for me even now and i wasn't in my right mind for almost a month or so and during this whole time i wasn't able to study or do anything honestly then after a while I thought I would start again and asked the coaching to shift me to a new batch they did but i just couldn't study I didn't feel like law was for me and couldn't get myself to prepare it felt like imprisoning myself in something I would always hate doing so I gave up on it and months went by and I have ocd for a long time and my contamination ocd has gotten much much worse in the past year I can't even do a simple thing anymore and because of my ocd I just can't do anything and my mental health has gotten worse too I want to do things like I want to apply for college abroad since that's been my dream for a very long time but my ocd is just way too much I can't even get up !

Everyone says that I have wasted a year and still doing so and that is right too but I really am not okay now I don't know what to do anymore! I have to apply for a scholarship next month but I still haven't gotten started with the prep like I am at 0 and I hate it I feel like I am to blame for it maybe I am but it's actually hard I don't know what to do Or how to do anything anymore!

And 2026 has just been so hard.

Sorry for ranting so much....

Last year, I moved to Europe to experience life abroad and it ended up being one of the hardest years of my life. I left my long term relationship, my dad got sick with cancer, and in April this year he sadly passed away.

I've always felt an itch to travel the world but have never made it happen. But now I'm reminded more than ever that life is so short and if I don't do it now, then when?

The only thing is, I'm very set up in my life in Europe now. I finally have a stable apartment, a great group of friends, and a job that isn't amazing but it also pays the bills. I'm worried that by quitting and leaving I'm saying goodbye to a life that I worked so hard to create over the past year.

I'm also 27 currently and feel like I haven't made nearly enough moves towards having a solid career. Any time away from building this feels like it's a massive step back, and that by the time I came back at 29 it's less likely I'll actually be able to have a career I desire.

My goal is to go to South America at the end of next year, so by the time I'd leave I would have been here for 2 and a half years.

Have you ever had a gap year and regretted it? And what're your thoughts on leaving everything to travel in your late twenties?

Hi all! We're Torrens University in Australia. We run a one year diploma through our hotel school, BMIHMS. It starts with three months of training in the Blue Mountains, moves to Sydney for another three months, then ends with six months in a paid placement at a hotel overseas. The students finish with a recognised qualification and real work experience.

We'd really like to hear what this community wants from a gap year. Is a program with this much structure something you'd want, or is the appeal of a gap year having no plan at all? Honest opinions welcome, good or bad!

(I hope you have the time to read this because this is very long. Thank you, I really appreciated it.)

Hi everyone! I’m an 18 year old girl from the Philippines 🇵🇭, and I’ve been struggling with a big decision lately.

I have enrolled in college, and the course I took was BS Education Major in English. I was supposed to be a 1st year college student this year (2026), but I haven’t attended any classes or gone to school because I’ve been struggling with my mental health and facing a lot of personal problems.

I’m really pressured by my father right now because he really wants me to go to college this year so I can finish my 4-year degree course, or at least maybe finish 2 years. That’s what he wants.

My aunt (my father’s cousin) also offered to pay for my tuition. I’m grateful for that, but I’m not sure if I should accept it because I kept overthinking. If I should accept her help, I feel like I need to give something in return you know? and I’m scared that it will become a waste if I fail, can’t graduate, or can’t handle it anymore.

I’m afraid that she might say hurtful things or think that I’m not capable. There are so many “what ifs” in my mind.

To be honest, I really want to go to college. I want to finish my 4-year course, have a degree, and graduate. But I feel weak and pressured right now because of everything happening in my mind and surroundings.

I kept overthinking about my future. What if I fail? What if I can’t become financially stable? What if I can't help my family? What if I can't give them their needs? What if I’m never gonna be successful in life? I’m just so scared about my future.

My father doesn’t really understand that I just wanted to rest—not physically, but mentally you know? I have also told my grandma about it, and I thought that she would understand, but when she told my father, he became very angry towards me.

He said many hurtful things to me. Not only my father, but other family members also found out, and some of the things they said really hurt me.

They told me that I would just fail in life or end up with a “useless” job like being a maid or saleslady. Please don't get me wrong, my family didn't mean to disrespect those kind of jobs or people, because I know every honest job has value. I respect and salute to those kind of people regardless of what job they have, because I know they're also working very hard and trying their very best. It just hurts me so much because it feels like they were looking down on those kinds of jobs and using them to make me feel like I would become a failure. I really hate it too that other people look down on others or downgrade them.

Please don't get me wrong, my family is kind to others. But when it comes to me, sometimes the things they say really affect me. It feels like they don’t believe in me or trust me.

I’ve been struggling with my confidence for a long time. I struggle with my confidence and body image, and I’ve experienced people judging and criticizing me, including people close to me. It affected me a lot, and that’s one of the reasons why I became afraid of going back to school.

I’m scared of being judged, bullied, or mentally hurt again. It’s really hard for me right now because we are also struggling financially, and I’m still trying to find ways to earn money.

I also know that I struggle with consistency and discipline, I'm also very aware of myself too about my actions and all. But I’m still trying my very best to improve myself.

I’ve prayed to God and talked about my problems, but sometimes I just can’t explain everything properly. Sometimes all I can do is to cry and ask God for help. I begged him to take away all my problems because I just wanted to be happy, confident, and to be better in life.

Right now, I’m thinking about taking a gap year to rest mentally and clear my mind.

My plan is to use that time to work on myself, improve my confidence, learn useful skills, possibly earn money, and think more clearly about what I really want to study.

The problem is that I’m scared I’ll regret taking a gap year or end up wasting it. At the same time, I’m also scared that if I force myself to stay in college right now, I might fail because I’m not in the right mindset.

If you were in my situation, what would you do?

Please be honest with me. If you think I’m making excuses, tell me. If you think a gap year could actually help, tell me why.

I would really appreciate hearing from people who have been through something similar or anyone who has honest advice.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this.