Gap years are usually filled with traveling, experiential learning, and work experience. However, COVID-19 has turned our world upside down. Despite the drastic changes we’ve experienced as a result of the pandemic, students opting for gap years is at a record high. According to Fitch Ratings, the annual enrollment is expected to plummet 5-20% nationwide. The question is: Should you take a gap year during these unprecedented times?

“I think that the administrators put in thought for some online courses but not for others. I personally feel like they could have handled things much better by making a decision earlier on whether they were going all online or not,” says Madeline Miller, a UNCW sophomore. “If they made the decision earlier it could have given the teachers and students more time to prep for going online, which could have helped us have a more successful school year.”