Ek cheat meal se weight nahi barhta. Ek katray se samandar nahi banta. Toh ek gap year say failure kaise ban gaya banda? 

I think it’s time you ask yourself why you have such a fear to begin with. Is it the “gap year student” label you fear, the labellers, the gap year or failure itself? 

If it’s the first, then contemplate why you’re considering a gap year. If rationalised, you’ll reclaim your gap year as a necessity and not a luxury! Otherwise, consult a school counsellor: what if you don’t even require a gap year? What if you could opt for a spring semester: take half a gap year and this way you won’t be behind your peers. If your school can’t offer you the support system, try talking to some trusted education consultants. 

If it’s the labellers, then I want you to acknowledge how you’d be gearing for a gap year, as a lone ranger. So, public approval or appeasement is purposeless considering you alone can and always will be there for yourself. So Jee le Zara kyun keh Zindagi na milegi dobara. 

However, if it’s the gap year itself that you fear, maybe you’re projecting your own negative assumptions. Try connecting with people who have taken and are taking a gap year. In fact, several online communities can help you track them down. Once you positively define a gap year for yourself, you’ll fear it less. 

Lastly, it’s a fear of failure, what does it mean to you? A loss of productivity, falling behind friends or failing familial expectations? Try working, volunteering, all while vacationing , and you won’t have a resume void to worry over.