After 12 years of studying in school, I am very "tierd" both physically and mentally. Instead of continuously studying in university, I decide to have one year off for travelling. Many people tell me that this is not very good, however. I am going to explain the advantages of doing so, and I hope it will help.
Firstly, this is a great way to relex and hence makes the following studies easier and better. Like me, many people are exhausted after years of studying. Although they can do anything they want during the summer vacation, this is not enough. Also, as the new university life is coming, there are many preparation work they have to do which may again shorten their happy-time. When they go to universities, they will see that it is way so different from high schools, and the change in environment or friends' circle may also make them more anxious that can hardly focus on studying (as I know many students are studying in another city in universities, or even in another country).
These problems are what the idea of taking a gap year will solve. Now you have more time to relex, to hang out with friends, to look back, to look into the future, to enjoy life etc.... This will pull you out from the tiredness in previous studying and gain more energy to deal with the coming new life. Some people may use this time to do something that they always want to do but have no time to do; some people may use this time to make more friends as they were busy studying before that already felt lonely; some people may use this time to do well preparations for universities as they may be more advanced than students who directly...