Malia Obama is taking a gap year, and so should you.

Tradition dictates that high school seniors should know, by the middle of their senior year, which college they will attend in the fall following high school graduation. But what if they do not know which college they will attend? What if they need time to reflect on which course they would like their lives to take? A gap year offers an answer to these lingering questions.

Many people feel like their whole lives have been set out for them, and they are not wrong. The circle of life goes like this: you go to high school, you go to college, you get a job, you retire. That sounds quite mundane to the average observer. Taking a gap year can help bring excitement to one’s life before or after college, but, above all, it can help one decide which direction they want to take and whether they want to pursue higher education at all. People run marathons, cycle across Europe and tour museums and art galleries during their gap year. These experiences are sure to broaden anyone’s horizons and make a person see the world in a whole new perspective.

There is a stigma associated with people who take gap years as they can be labeled as “unproductive,” “lazy” or “fiscally irresponsible.” I myself found the idea intimidating at first, because it requires a leap of faith. It requires the willingness to drop everything and explore the world, and I cannot do that. However, I think people who take gap years are wise and courageous because they are able to acknowledge the need to take a break to reevaluate priorities

Taking a gap year will help you live enthusiastically, learn about the world and above all learn about yourself. It allows you to take the perspective of an outsider looking in on your own life which will help you make carefully considered decisions. It will help you decide what kind of person you want to be. We are oftentimes stuck in our own little bubbles, and we must step out of those bubbles so we can build lives for ourselves.

One of the more common majors for incoming freshmen at Northwestern is “undecided.” Being undecided about your major is a regular phenomenon in the United States and it is not looked down upon. Some people decide on their majors after testing the waters for a while in college. However, I believe the best way to choose a major is by taking a gap year. Perhaps through travel and self-exploration you can see clearly which career path is most appealing to you and find your true calling in life.

A gap year will offer you time. I think one thing all people can agree on is that time is the most valuable commodity in the world. During our college years, we spend so much time studying that we forget to take time for ourselves. We need to time to think, reflect and relax. If I could go back in time and take a gap year, I would do it in a heartbeat. College can wait, a gap year should be taken as soon as possible in order for people to realize their dreams and pursue them.

Having said that, taking a gap year is only helpful if done the right way, with the right resources. If you take a gap year and sit at home watching television, I doubt you will benefit much. However, if you take a year off and go travel around the world, visit museums and discover cultural sites, you will emerge as a more well-rounded and better-educated person. You will be missing out on a year’s worth of college education, but you will gain knowledge of the world and people around you, which no college can ever teach you the way a gap year can.

The pressure to go to college right after high school can be overwhelming. However, taking a gap year, while expensive, is becoming a more common solution to traditional indecisiveness. I urge you, whether you are a high school student or a college graduate, to step outside the box, take a chance and take a gap year to reflect on your achievements thus far and decide what your next step will be. We cannot keep sitting on the sidelines, basking in the glory of people who live adventurously and take gap years. Higher education can wait.

Tala Salem is a Medill freshman. She can be contacted at [email protected]. If you would like to respond publicly to this column, send a Letter to the Editor to [email protected]. The views expressed in this piece do not necessarily reflect the views of all staff members of The Daily Northwestern.