It's not particularly common to take a gap year in the States. It's definitely rare in the transition between high school and college, and while becoming more common between undergrad and graduate school, there's still plenty of people who choose to complete all their schooling in one go.
I'm going to admit that I always was hesitant about taking a gap year. I just felt like it was just easier to get all the misery and suffering over with at once rather than in chunks. My grandbig and big, though, both take a gap year before going off to medical school and absolutely raved about it. They used the year off to gain new experiences in the medical field and to just spend some time living as a real person rather than a student.
After hearing them go on and on about the things they were doing, I decided to take a gap year myself. Sure, it didn't blow over so well with my mom, but I've been out of school for nearly 4 months now and I have yet to regret my decision. The real world is no walk in the park: a full-time job is exhausting, you're probably not rolling in money, and gone are all my pre-set social events (thanks, sorority life!). But this is the first time in a long time my brain hasn't been fried (study abroad does not count). Eighteen years of schooling can take a toll.
Traveling is a great way to fill up that year. I, of course, actually will have a job while abroad, but if I had the money to just travel all year I totally would! Instead I compromised a bit. Here's a great article on reasons to take a gap year. If you're considering taking time off after school, definitely give it a look!
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