The Harvard admissions office has an essay on its Web site called "Time Out or Burn Out for the Next Generation." It praises the idea of taking time off to step back, think and enjoy gaining life experiences outside the pressure of studies. It also notes that students are sometimes admitted to Harvard or other colleges in part because they did something unusual with that time.

哈佛大学入学处在其网站上发表了一篇名为“让下一代喘息还是累垮”的评论，在文中它对这种理念给予了称赞：中断学业对过去的经历进行回顾、思考、将学习压力置于一边，享受从生活体验中得到的乐趣。并且文中还提到，有时，哈佛大学或其他院校同意部分学生入学，那是因为那些学生在那段时间有着非常了不起的表现。

Of course, a gap year is not for everyone. Students might miss their friends who go on directly to college. And parents might worry that their children will decide not to go to college once they take time off. Another concern is money. A year off, away from home, can be costly.

当然，“空档年”也不适合每一个人。有的学生可能会非常想念他们一毕业就直接去上大学的朋友，并且也有父母会担心，一旦他们的孩子中断学业，会不会决定就不去上大学了。钱也是考虑的原因之一，因为孩子们离家一年的费用会很高。

Holly Bull is the president of the Center for Interim Programs. Her company specializes in helping students plan their gap year. She notes that several books have been written about this subject. She says these books along with media attention and the availability of information on the Internet have increased interest in the idea of a year off. And she points out that many gap year programs cost far less than a year of college.

Holly Bull是“学业过渡期中心”的负责人，她的公司专门帮助学生制定“空档年”计划，她指出目前已有好几本书都谈及了该题材。她还称，这些受媒体关注的书和网络上一些有用的信息已激起人们对“空档年”概念的兴趣。同时她还指出，目前许多“空档年”计划的费用远远低于大学一年的花费。