[chrisBob]

Undergrad time in college is the perfect chance to explore and figure out what you want to do. I would recommend starting school, and taking a lighter course load including some things you might not take otherwise. I was a mechanical engineering major in college, but I wish I had taken more CS classes. If you have the means then plan to spend 4.5-5 years finishing school, or save your money so that you have more options after you finish college.

I took about half a year off before grad school, and I loved it. For me that was much more valuable than if I had done something similar before undergrad. If you are interested, I spent my time off on a road trip across the US. My wife and I camped the entire time except for a few days with friends and 3 nights in hotels when we need some recovery time. It included a lot of hiking including up to 15 days straight on the trail.