I graduated high school in the spring of 2017. I watched my friends move away the following fall while I stayed put in my less than stellar hometown. I decided to take a gap year for one reason, I wasn't ready for college.

I am now two semesters behind my original graduating class of 2021, however, I have found my place among the class of 2022...maybe 23. While my former classmates were waking up to go to classes, I was waking up to go to work. When my former classmates were attending parties, I was taking a night shift. I hit working extremely hard when school started for everyone else.

I was devastated when I realized I would not be able to attend college at the time I wanted to, but God had other plans. I worked hard and I saved up money. I was doing everything I could to distract myself from the truth of it all. I wasn't ready.

I needed that break from school, I needed to see how hard someone have to work to get where they want to be. I took school for granted, I missed school. I wanted to be back in a classroom and not asking people, "Follow me this way to your table."

I am now in my second semester of college and thankful every day that I get to sit in a desk and learn. I still work for my money and I am still working to get exactly where I want to be, but I'm a lot closer now than I was almost two years ago.

Don't be afraid of taking a year off, if that's what you need then you need to do it. I learned and appreciated a lot more because of it. Take off a year if you need a break from school, take off a year if you don't have the money. College is something that you do not have to rush. You can go at your own pace and that's okay. Taking a gap year is okay, not taking a gap year is okay. You have to do what is best for you.