Gap year(s)

[Trek420]

I grew up around my mom - who dropped out after two years to get married and start a family, and for almost two decades dreamed about being in college, until she finally joined Teacher Corps and finished her degree at I think 37.

My mom dropped out of Cal where she was pursuing an architecture degree when WWII happened. She had learned enough by then to work on logistics of the Liberty ships and she designed the home we kids grew up in (amazing design). She went back to school at about 40 when I started kindergarten and completed a Masters in early childhood ed.

... I don't feel like it's a must-have anymore. I like the choices I made. I like being in school right now. And to tell the truth, there are a lot of adults who go back, so you won't be alone.

I think there's a lot of acceptance of the working student, the returning student now. And if there's an HR person in the bunch I've been told in job search coaching that it's a good thing when it comes to education in putting something like "BA in art in process". Hope that's correct. In fact it's funny since they may think "oh, 20's" and one shows up "50's? Looks 40. Well she bikes".

Like my climbing, slow, steady progress I suppose.

But back to the OP; sure. Take a gap year. But I'd make sure it somehow prepares one for school. Because I can tell you once you take your foot off the pedal even for a moment or a term it's so hard to get back going again. If I had it to do over I would have never stopped.