High school was a stressful time. I had teachers breathing down the back of my neck, life-determining exams, and I was failing maths. To top it all off, I was expected to decide on my future career path within a matter of months.

As a graduating high school student in Queensland, Australia, I had four options: university, Tafe, work a full-time job, or learn a trade. Otherwise, become jobless, homeless, and, or worthless. Everyone was telling me to immediately begin university. I had the grades, the drive, and the motivation. But I just didn’t have the desire. A lot of people go straight from high school to university and they love it. When I graduated from high school with exemplary grades and a position in the bachelor of secondary education at my local university, everyone was so proud. I was proud of myself too. Mainly because I now had the opportunity to tell people that I had been accepted into university. I’m not going to lie, it gave me something to boast about at family gatherings. And what more could I want?

But four years of living in debt, being plagued by procrastinated assessment, and feeling the pressures of society to succeed just sounded like too much. I attended one year of university. As I was yet to acquire my provisional licence, I caught the bus every day. Let me tell you, waking up at five in the morning four days a week to catch an hour-and-a-half-long bus to university did not make for the best start to my educational journey. I am not a morning person. In fact, I wear shirts specifically stating this fact when I go to sleep. Unfortunately, people don’t get the clear message and still try talking to me in the morning. Life is tragic.

I finished the first semester and I felt destroyed. Every spare moment I had was spent searching overseas tours, volunteering expeditions, teaching positions in China and Vietnam. Everyone from my graduating class was either going to university, working a minimum wage job, or doing nothing. No matter what, everyone in my town always came back. One day I realised – if you didn’t leave the town before you turned twenty, you didn’t leave at all. I couldn’t let myself become one of them. I booked an internship teaching English in China, and I completed my second semester of university. Bearing in mind I only took one course that semester. It was one course too many.

I turned eighteen in December, booked my plane tickets, my Visa, bought a bag and some warm clothes. I was heading to Beijing for five months. From Beijing, I had no idea. But it was the unknown that made it exciting. Some people thought I was crazy – I knew absolutely zero mandarin. Others thought I was brave – I had never travelled to another country before, let alone by myself. But it all worked out. I ended up teaching kindergarten in Southern China. My warm clothes were unnecessary, but at least I’m prepared for future trips to chilly places.

What I needed, was a break. I started university a few months after finishing high school. I was so drained from the mental and emotional torment I had endured from the stress, that starting university immediately was the worst decision. When you’re tired, you have a rest. You don’t purposely subject yourself to even more stress.

For me, taking a gap year this year was the best decision that I could have made. For others, university gives them purpose. However, if you do find yourself travelling rather than studying, know that you’ll probably never want to go back to reality. And that’s okay. Make the most of life while you’re young. If you’re like me, and would rather spend your youth exploring the world, then absolutely go for it. Screw societal expectations that we all need a university education by the time we’re twenty-five.

We were given a life to live it, and that’s just what I’ll do.