I AM taking a gap year and have never considered the negative connotations in Malaysia. Thanks for pointing that out, azarimy. I guess I would not expect a lot of Malaysians to understand why I choose to take a year off even though i have the financial means to continue with school. The mentality here is that one should finish school as young as possible (Although i do not understand why. What's the rush?), so gap years are unnecessary and a "waste of time". I do not care if society looks unfavorably upon my choice to take a gap year, but if it comes up during an interview with a potential employer, that would be a tricky question to answer :/