狭义的间隔年指高校学生在接受常规教育期间或两段完整的教育阶段之间暂时 “脱离”原定完整的教育轨道，进行义工志愿、实习培训、技能学习、旅游疗愈等活动。本研究对中国社会情境下的间隔年重新做出界定，并以此为依据选择访谈对象，以八名不同背景和规划的选择间隔年的中国大学生作为个案，通过半结构访谈的形式深入了解他们选择间隔年的起因与间隔年期间的规划或经历、以及他们对于自己这一选择的价值定位，用个体化理论和社会文化资本理论对其间隔年的选择动机进行解释性分析。

研究发现，大学生选择间隔年的原因主要分为三类：一是由于紧张的时间压力而选择间隔一年的升学计划者；二是因为身心问题不得不休学调养的间隔年参与者；三是考研失败且在家庭经济压力下别无选择的直接就业者。这些受访者的经历看似各不相同，但最终都可以归结为“被动之下的主动”。“被动”意味着他们原本并不想，但因为各种各样的原因不得不选择间隔年。间隔年对于他们有不同程度的消耗或是未知，比如不确定的未来，失去的社交圈和原本节奏下的机会，同辈比较的压力等，究其原因是制度的不完善和传统观念塑造着他们的认知，因此他们很难主动去选择间隔年。这也体现了当代大学生在反思高度节奏化与“内卷”的社会的同时，对于制度与秩序的依赖和难以脱嵌的现状。

然而，在最终做出决定后，他们又以积极的、对自己人生负责的态度去规划和面对间隔年，充分发挥其主观能动性做到“被动选择后的主动掌控”。他们在自我对话中对抗社会和内心的压力，对间隔年赋予积极意义并积极规划和探索，期待得到更好的结果。升学间隔年的群体希望这一年让他们能够在更充分的准备里冲刺更好的学校；休学间隔年实践者改变了自己的价值排序，也有人在松弛的环境里找到了新的方向；随波逐流找工作的大学生愈发明确了自己想要的生活，辞职二战并成功上岸。其次，周边环境的尊重包容对个体决定间隔年这一选择也产生了较大影响，且不同阶层的家庭能够给到的精神与物质支持呈现出较大差异，反映到受访者的规划中便是旅游放松、实习实践、工作挣钱这三类完全不同的规划。

总体而言，受访者的间隔年选择动机都呈现出一定程度的“被动”，但也都在规划中体现出对真实自我的坚持和理想自我的主动追求。他们以“间隔年”这一西方语境下带着积极意义的词定义自己的这段时间，向往着多元勇敢的人生道路，但最终还是难以脱离传统的评价体系，暂时的脱轨是为了以更好的状态归来。

In a narrow sense, a gap year refers to a temporary 'break' from the original full education track during the regular education period or between two full education stages, for volunteering, internship training, skills learning, travel and healing activities. This study redefines the gap year in the Chinese social context and uses this as the basis for selecting interviewees, taking eight Chinese university students with different backgrounds and plans to choose a gap year as case studies. The theory of individuation and socio-cultural capital is used to analyse the motivations for their choice of gap year.

The study found that there were three main reasons why university students chose to take a gap year: due to intense time pressure; to recuperate from physical and mental problems; and failed in their examinations and had no other choice but to take up direct employment due to financial pressure from their families. The experiences of these interviewees may seem different, but ultimately they can all be summarised as "initiative under passivity". They had to choose to take a gap year for a variety of reasons, but in doing so, they also took the initiative to explore themselves, to ask themselves questions, to take risks and to find value in the gap year. "Passive" means that they did not want to, but they had to choose a gap year for various reasons. It is difficult for them to choose a gap year because they are exposed by the uncertainty of their future, the loss of their social circle and opportunities at their original pace, the  peer pressure, etc. The reason for this is the imperfect system and traditional attitudes that shape their perceptions. This is also a reflection of the dependence on the system and order and the difficulty of disassociating themselves from it, while reflecting on the highly paced and "involuted" society of today's university students.

However, once they have made their final decision, they plan and face the gap year with a positive and responsible attitude towards their lives, taking full advantage of their initiative to "take control after a passive choice". They are fighting social and internal pressures in self-talk, giving positive meaning to the gap year and actively planning and exploring it in the hope of achieving better results. Those who have taken a gap year hope that it will allow them to be better prepared to go to a better university; those who have taken a gap year have changed their ranking of values and put their health before everything else; those who have gone with the flow of job hunting have become clearer about what they want to do with their lives and have quit their jobs and succeeded in their master's examinations. Secondly, the respectful and inclusive environment around them also had a significant impact on the individual's decision to take a gap year. In addition, the moral and material support that different families can provide varies considerably, which is reflected in the three different types of planning: travel and relaxation, internships and work to earn money.

In general, respondents' motivations for choosing a gap year are all somewhat 'passive', but they also reflect their insistence on their active pursuit of their ideal selves in their planning. They define their time by the positive meaning of the term "gap year" in the Western context and aspire to a diverse and courageous life path. However, in the end, it is difficult to leave the initial track and evaluation system, and the temporary derailment is to return in a better state.