Today, widespread social pressure to immediately go to college in conjunction with increasingly high expectations in a fast-moving world often causes students to completely overlook the possibility of taking a gap year. After all, if everyone you know is going to college in the fall, it seems silly to stay back a year, doesn’t it? And after going to school for 12 years, it doesn’t feel natural to spend a year doing something that isn’t academic.

    But while this may be true, it’s not a good enough reason to condemn gap years. There’s always a constant fear of falling behind everyone else on the socially perpetuated “race to the finish line,” whether that be toward graduate school, medical school or lucrative career. But despite common misconceptions, a gap year does not hinder the success of academic pursuits—in fact, it probably enhances it.

    Studies from the United States and Australia show that students who take a gap year are generally better prepared for and perform better in college than those who do not. Rather than pulling students back, a gap year pushes them ahead by preparing them for independence, new responsibilities and environmental changes—all things that first-year students often struggle with the most. Gap year experiences can lessen the blow when it comes to adjusting to college and being thrown into a brand new environment, making it easier to focus on academics and activities rather than acclimation blunders.

    If you’re not convinced of the inherent value in taking a year off to explore interests, then consider its financial impact on future academic choices. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, nearly 80 percent of college students end up changing their majors at least once. This isn’t surprising, considering the basic mandatory high school curriculum leaves students with a poor understanding of the vast academic possibilities that await them in college. Many students find themselves listing one major on their college applications, but switching to another after taking college classes. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, but depending on the school, it can be costly to make up credits after switching too late in the game. At Boston College, for example, you would have to complete an extra year were you to switch to the nursing school from another department. Taking a gap year to figure things out initially can help prevent stress and save money later on.

答案精析：根据题干中的reasons和not taking a gap year可定位至原文第一段。第一段第一句说到学生常常完全忽视间隔年这一选择，紧接着，第二句给出了具体原因：高中毕业生看到身边认识的人都在秋季上大学了，自己却要落后一年，看起来很愚蠢。由此可知，度过间隔年与其他人做法不同，并且这会让自己显得很愚蠢，因此很多高中毕业生不选择度过间隔年，正确答案为C项。

错项排除：第一段最后一句出现academic，此处说的是花一年时间做跟学习无关的事（spend a year doing something that isn’t academic），与对学业产生误导无关，因此排除A项。原文没有提及高中毕业生对高校生活的期待，因此排除B项。D项中的off-campus courses并未在原文中提及，故排除。