Sorry to be so negative, but I suggest against taking a gap year, for a few practical reasons: If you're traveling, you are again a minor (depending on country

Sorry to be so negative, but I suggest against taking a gap year, for a few practical reasons: If you're traveling, you are again a minor (depending on country), and unless your family is insufferably wealthy you might find yourself running out of money abroad. It'll make for a good story to tell at parties later, sure, but it could also not end well. While you claim CS knowledge, I don't see a link to your Github or Bitbucket in your profile, and I'm going to bet that you aren't going to reliably find work if you need it in short order. It's few enough people with lots of experience and connections that can pick up a phone and make extra money...I wouldn't bet your time abroad having neither of those things. The future, right now, looks bright. You or your family may run out of money or fall on hard times, and that could turn a gap year into no college. Or you might get in trouble with the authorities or creditors and again miss your chance for college. I've seen this happen, and it sucks. As for getting a local CS job--see if you can get a part-time gig or summer internship or something; that seems reasonable. Unless you're really impressive, though, you aren't likely to find work. You're a teenager. That makes you of questionable utility as an employee, and you can't even purchase alcohol, rent a car, or buy certain types of firearms legally. This puts a limit on the legal sorts of shenanigans you can get into. Just go to school, enjoy the free time, and look forward to the adventures afterwards. A gap year is kinda just something that people who don't have their shit together do because they can get it subsidized--everybody else either goes and does college, or busts their ass until they save up to go to college, or just skips the whole ordeal entirely.