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While her fellow students prepare for the new semester, Chen Yanmei is on her way to Tibet.
當同學們正準備迎接新學期的到來時，陳艷梅（音譯）已踏上了前往西藏的旅程。
The 19-year-old management major at Shanghai University has no plans to return to campus anytime soon as she's taken a gap year to travel.
19歲的陳艷梅就讀于上海大學管理專業，自從她實施自己的間隔年旅行計劃后，就打消了近期返校的念頭。
"College life is not much different from high school," said sophomore Chen. "I feel burnout and study wears me out. So I think I'll take a year off and come back with renewed enthusiasm."
正在讀大二的她說："大學生活同高中生活并沒有太大的區別。我感到精疲力竭了，學業令我心力交瘁。所以我打算休學一年，重拾熱情，再度歸來。"
Taking a gap year in college has become more appealing to students. While experts say that taking time off could be beneficial, there are several hurdles.
大學間隔年越來越受到學生們的青睞。盡管專家們表示休息一段時間會大有益處，但我們仍面臨著一些障礙。
According to Xinmin Evening News, an online survey conducted by Sina.com indicated that 73.3 percent of Chinese students say that they long to experience a gap year.
據《新民晚報》報道，由新浪網發起的一份在線調查顯示，有73.3%的中國學生渴望能體驗一次間隔年。
Geng Bin, of the students affairs office at Wenzhou University, supports this finding. Geng said: "We have received more students' applications for suspension in the last two to three summers. Many of them are trying to launch startups or to travel and put aside study temporarily."
對于該調查結果，來自溫州大學學生處的耿斌（音譯）表示支持。他說："在過去兩三年的暑假期間，我們收到越來越多學生提交的休學申請。多數人把學業暫時放到一邊，嘗試去創業或旅行。
Yang Jia, a history sophomore at Beijing Normal University, took a year off to tour Australia on a working holiday.
就讀于北京師范大學歷史系大二年級的楊嘉（音譯），就選擇休學一年前往澳大利亞，一邊旅游一邊打工。
The gap year turned out to be a boost to his study on his return to campus.
事實證明，在他重返校園的時候，間隔年確實為他的學業注入了新動力。
"I found myself more confident and self-sufficient," said Yang. "And more importantly, during the year, I thought a lot and now I know what I really want. All my grades are higher."
楊嘉說："我發現自己變得更加自信自立了。更重要的是，在間隔年期間，我思考了很多，現在我知道自己真正想要的是什么了。各科的成績也都有所提高。"
Gappers also have an edge in the job market. In a survey in 2011 done by YouGov, a UK-based market research agency, reported gapyear.com, 63 percent of HR professionals in the UK said that a constructive gap year spent volunteering or gaining work experience overseas made a job application stand out.
間隔年的行者們在求職時也頗具優勢。2011年時，由英國市場調研機構YouGov所做的一項調查，調查表明63%的英國人力資源工作者表示一次自愿的空檔年規劃或者是海外的工作經驗都能使求職申請出彩，該調查結果被發布在間隔年旅游網站gapyear.com上。
However, Xiong Bingqi, deputy-director of the 21st Century Education Research Institute, said that there is a different attitude to gap years in China.
而21世紀教育研究院副院長熊丙奇則表示，在中國對間隔年存在著另一種聲音。
"In the West, as long as you earn enough credits you get the diploma," said Xiong. "So students can suspend their study and take leave."
他說："在西方，你只要修夠學分便能拿到學位，因此學生們可以擱置學業休假。"
But in China, a suspension comes usually with a serious injury, sickness or other special reasons. Traveling is not one of them, according to Xiong.
熊丙奇副院長表示，但在中國，一般只有在遭遇嚴重傷病或其他特殊原因時才可以休學。而旅行并不在其中。
But Nanjing Daily reported early this year that some schools such as Nanjing University of Information Engineering and Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics are experimenting with students' "startups trading for credits". According to the plan, students can earn college credits by setting up businesses off campus. With a detailed plan and school approval, students can obtain time out.
但今年年初《南京日報》的一篇報道稱，包括南京信息工程大學和南京航空航天大學在內的多所高校正在試行學生的"創業換學分"制。按照計劃，學生們可以通過在學校外創業掙學分。只要具備詳細計劃并獲得學校批準，學生們便可以休學一段時間。
But the newspaper also said that the specifics of such policy have yet to be worked out.
但改片報道同時也表示目前這一政策的細節還未制定好。
Geng Bin suggests an alternative for students. With more universities connected to their counterparts in the West, exchange programs can be a very good platform for students to travel and experience foreign culture while retaining their active status on campus.
耿斌建議學生們可以選擇其他的一些替代方式。隨著越來越多的國內外高?；ソㄓ押藐P系，各種交流項目為學生們提供了一個在保持校園活力的同時，還可以一邊旅行一邊體驗異國的絕佳平臺。
"At least for now when gap year is not very doable for most students, exchange programs seem to be the best choice," said Geng.
耿斌說："至少對于目前大多數學生無緣間隔年的狀況來說，交流項目似乎是最佳之選。"
