Taking a Break After School
Fifteen years after starting school, 18-year-olds Mia Sanson-Regan and Gwen Shepherd from Cardiff decided to take a break from formal education. They are among thousands of young people in the UK who choose to take a gap year before beginning university studies.
Despite considerable pressure from teachers to proceed directly to university, both Mia and Gwen expressed no regrets about working multiple jobs during their gap year to fund a unique travel experience.
Changing Perceptions of Gap Years
Victoria Tassongo, aged 20, who took a gap year before commencing medical studies at the University of Oxford, aims to challenge the perception that taking a year out is unproductive.
According to UCAS, 6.4% of successful university applicants deferred their offers for 2025, a figure approaching the levels observed during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Deciding to Take a Gap Year
While Mia was certain from the start that she would take a gap year, Gwen was initially uncertain.
"I've always been quite academic, I've enjoyed being in school,"
"Sixth form was really intense and I did enjoy it, but I definitely wanted to have a break from being in school full-time.
"I also really loved the idea of travelling and I wasn't sure if I'd get such a good time period and opportunity to do it [while] still living at home."
Gwen missed the deadline to defer her 2025 university offer but has since applied and been accepted to study history and politics at the University of Manchester starting in September.
Working to Fund Travel
During the first six months of her gap year, Gwen worked in a supermarket, while Mia described balancing three jobs as "intense."
"It's always been in my head that I didn't want to go to university straightaway,"
"It's quite nice to not have your brain always be learning."
The two friends plan to use their savings to travel across South East Asia.
"I wouldn't be able to travel such a far distance for the first time by myself so I'm really glad that it's come at a point where both of us can do it together," said Mia.
Statistics on Gap Year Deferrals
Out of 577,725 university offers made for the 2025-26 academic year, 36,925 students deferred their places. The proportion of school leavers taking a break before higher education has increased from 5.4% in 2016 to 6.4% in 2025, according to UCAS.
Benefits of Taking a Gap Year
Graduate Prospects, a non-profit organisation, notes that school leavers use gap years to explore different countries and cultures and to relieve stress after completing A-levels.
Chris Rea, an early careers expert at Graduate Prospects, stated:
"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."
Victoria Tassongo's Experience
After not receiving any offers to study medicine, 20-year-old Victoria Tassongo from London was advised by teachers to apply for alternative courses such as biomedical sciences instead of deferring.
Victoria believes her gap year has positively influenced her current studies at Oxford.
"I was able to figure out or learn a lot of things about myself in the mundane of the everyday, like not having a schedule, planning my own time, setting goals,"
"I love talking about gap years because I definitely want to change the narrative around them.
"Gap years are not a waste of time or just a lack of decision as to what you want to do in your life, they can actually be really strategic."
However, Victoria acknowledged that a gap year can be "really lonely" and that she experienced fear of missing out (FOMO).
Reflections on Gap Year Decisions
Gwen also wondered if she had made a "massive mistake" when she saw her friends begin university in September but ultimately felt satisfied with her choice.
Mia shared similar feelings:
"I was definitely getting a bit of FOMO, just in terms of the social aspects of it.
"But I think now that we're actually going travelling, I'm happy with my decision."
The friends have now arrived in Thailand to commence their three-month journey.
