5 reasons why your teen should take a gap year

Becky Hunter-Kelm sets out how a year of faith, service, and adventure can equip teens with life skills, spiritual depth, and friendships that last a lifetime

When I turned 18, gap years were all the rage. Don’t know what to do at uni? Take a gap year. Got the means to go and explore the world? Gap year. Didn’t get on the course you wanted? Gap year.

20 years later, gap-year trends in the UK over the last five years (2020–2025) have surged again, with UCAS reporting that 6.4% of successful university applicants deferred their offers in 2025.

The Covid-19 lockdowns were when we first saw a surge in popularity of gap years, as many students didn’t want to pay tuition for online remote learning instead of a face-to-face university experience, beginning the normalisation of taking a year out before uni. Today, more young people are taking a year off before uni to work and build financial stability, or to finance the ‘trip of a lifetime’.

It was formative for everything I went on to do in my life, including further study, career, and church ministry

Chris Rea, early careers expert at Graduate Prospects, says: ‘A gap year may be a break, but it’s the perfect opportunity for students to explore personal interests, gain life experience, broaden horizons and get ahead in their career. The jobs market is particularly competitive at the moment, so a gap year can be a good move if students aren’t sure what to do, want to earn money, or need to strengthen their CV. If they’re uncertain about what they want to do next, gap years offer space and time to reflect and get to know yourself a little better.’

I agree with Rea, I think gap years are a great idea. I took a gap year after sixth form because I …..