Everyone Has a Plan for Your Life. This Book Helps You Make Your Own.

The practical, no-BS guide to taking a gap year that actually sets you up for life.

^ your future self will thank you

I was 18, sitting in a parking lot in Whistler, living out of a car I could barely afford to insure. Everyone back home was starting university. My parents were worried. My guidance counselor had basically written me off. I had no plan, no safety net, and honestly... no idea what I was doing. But I had a notebook, a willingness to work, and this stubborn feeling that jumping straight into a $40,000 degree I wasn't sure about was the real risk. That parking lot was the beginning of everything.
I'm an economist now. That gap year is the reason.

What If You're About to Make an $80,000 Mistake?

Picking a major because it "sounds good" and hating it by October
Spending four years (and six figures) on a degree you never use
Graduating with debt and zero clarity on what you actually want
Following someone else's path because you didn't know there were other options
Burning out before your career even starts
Looking back at 25 and thinking "I wish someone had told me"

30%

of freshmen switch majors

50%

take 6+ years to graduate

$80K+

average cost of "figuring it out" in school

10 Chapters. Zero Fluff.

Why the "go straight to university" advice is outdated and often wrong
How to pitch a gap year to skeptical parents (without starting a war)
The real cost of university vs. the real value of a gap year
How to build a gap year plan that impresses future admissions officers
Finding work, internships, and experiences that actually matter
Traveling smart on a budget (not backpacker clichés)
Building skills employers and grad schools actually care about
Avoiding the common traps that turn a gap year into a lost year
How to re-enter school or the workforce with a massive head start
The mindset shifts that separate people who drift from people who thrive

Written by Someone Who Actually Did It

At 18, Luke Genest did what everyone told him not to. He skipped university, moved to Whistler, washed dishes, skied every day, and spent a year figuring out who he actually was. Then he went to UBC Okanagan with a plan, earned his master's in economics, and built a career as an economist. This book isn't theory. It's the playbook he wishes someone had handed him in that parking lot.

Not a life coach. Just a guy who took the weird path and it worked.

What Readers Are Saying

"I gave this to my daughter before her senior year. She deferred admission, did a gap year, and went back to school knowing exactly what she wanted. Best decision we ever supported."

Sarah M.

Parent

"I was terrified to take a gap year. This book made me feel like it was the smart move, not the lazy one. And it was."

Jordan T.

Gap Year Grad, now at McGill

"Finally, someone wrote the book that says what guidance counselors won't. Practical, funny, and brutally honest."

David R.

High School Teacher

90%

of gap year students report higher GPAs after

97%

say it increased their maturity and confidence

73%

felt more certain of their major choice

Get the Playbook

$49 $29

The complete Gap Year Playbook (digital download)
10 chapters of actionable, no-fluff advice
Bonus: Gap year planning worksheet
Bonus: Parent conversation script
Instant access. Start reading tonight.

Add the Starter Bundle for just $17 more (planning templates, video walkthroughs, community access)

Questions You Probably Have

Nope. It's for anyone considering a gap year before, during, or instead of university. It's also for parents trying to understand why their kid might want one. A gap year isn't anti-education. It's pro-clarity.

The opposite. Admissions officers increasingly value gap years. The book covers exactly how to frame yours so it strengthens your application, not weakens it.

You're weighing $29 against potentially $80,000+ in tuition for a degree you're not sure about. If this book helps you avoid even one wrong semester, it pays for itself roughly 1,000 times over.

Absolutely. There's a whole section on navigating the parent conversation. A lot of parents read it and say they wish they'd had it for themselves at 18.

That's exactly what this book prevents. The difference between a gap year and a lost year is having a plan. The Playbook gives you the framework so you come out ahead, not behind.

Digital download. You'll get instant access as soon as you purchase. Read it on your phone, tablet, laptop... wherever. No waiting for shipping.

Still relevant. Plenty of people take a gap year mid-degree or between undergrad and grad school. The principles apply whether you're 17 or 27.

If you read the book and genuinely feel it didn't help, reach out. We'll sort it out. No weird hoops to jump through.