The whole point of a Gap year is to take a break from your studies, celebrate and party, work, or just relax and focus on your hobbies and yourself for a year.

Many people do it differently, but after around 13 years in Education (the time most people reach 18), you need a chance to wind down and live.

I knew from starting secondary school that I was going to take a gap year; it was important for me to get away and decide what I wanted to do or just take a breather and have fun.

Between the ages of 16 and 18, I worked three jobs while going to school full-time to save up for traveling.

It was honestly the best thing I did. I traveled solo for five months around Asia, Australia, New Zealand, LA, New York, and Toronto. Not only did I learn a lot about myself, but it also gave me a break from the real world and the pressures of growing up and finding a job.

I learned how to fend for myself, save and budget money, drink a lot, have fun, and let loose. Not to say I had some scary moments throughout it, as well as many low points, but I made it back in one piece and went to university. I decided I wanted to study more and chose Creative Writing, a course that I really enjoyed, and carried on to do a Masters in it.

University isn’t the right choice for everyone, and sometimes, when you go out and travel, you end up staying out there, but taking a break and having the chance to breathe helped me make the right choice in what I wanted to do.

Even coming back after a gap year and releasing that you don’t want to go to university is okay, too. It just gives you the chance and freedom to explore and discover other opportunities and realize that life doesn’t stop after school it is only just beginning.

This was written by our contributing writer, Shanai Besst.