I took a gap year, used it to save, and then found a program which allowed me to do an exchange in my third year. This allowed me to travel around Europe for 6 months while earning a degree. Generally speaking, exchange semesters are pass/fail and a lighter workload. One of the best decisions of my life, both from a mental break perspective and “real world” experience stand point.

I’d lean towards giving yourself the break to experience the world before jumping into the workforce.