A gap year will provide you with much more than any classroom setting ever can. We can learn a lot in the classroom, but it isn't until we put it into practice in the real world that we really understand what's going on. A gap year lets us learn as we do and there's much more room for new experiences to enter our lives.
We will also learn a lot more about ourselves and who we are as people; sometimes an experience during a gap year can knock you a bit but you'll learn just how much you can deal with when you really have to. Whether volunteering, studying, or just traveling, you're bound to learn a ton.