Gap Year
Contents
Pronunciations
['gap yeer]
Part of Speech
Noun
Description
A year taken off of school at a transitional period, normally between college graduation and starting graduate school but also possible between high school graduation and starting college or between transferring universities. The time taken off can be for any variety of reasons and is usually spent working, studying, or traveling.
Usage
Mostly used by students who plan on taking time off in between schools, but can be used by anyone.
Example Sentences
Didn't you just apply to med school? Nah, I'm going to take a gap year, so I'll apply next year.
Why It's Wild
This term is wild because many students at Northwestern will encounter this word, particularly those looking into grad school, including Northwestern's Kellogg, Fienberg, or law schools. WildWords recognizes that although this term can be found at most universities, not every student will have heard it before attending Northwestern.