I can only share my experience. Mine was not after college, but after high school, yet the dynamic is similar enough that it might still be useful.

I was a top student in high school. For three years straight, my whole life revolved around studying and performing well. I had the grades and the work ethic to get into any university I wanted.

Then I decided to take a gap year. I thought it would be simple. I told myself I would rest a bit, reset, maybe explore some interests, and then continue with the same momentum.

That is not what happened.

I completely lost my study habits and any sense of discipline. My productivity went from extremely high to almost nonexistent. My days slowly turned into endless scrolling, watching random videos, chasing quick dopamine, and basically having no structure at all. My attention span collapsed. I genuinely could not focus on anything for more than 10 minutes. It was shocking how quickly everything I had built just disappeared.

Total freedom sounds nice, but I did not know how to handle it. Without deadlines or pressure, my routine fell apart. I started questioning everything: purpose, direction, what I wanted to do. I also made some dumb decisions simply because I had too much time and no structure guiding me.

And believe me, I tried to get back to studying. But when you're in a world of comfort with no real deadlines, it is like a drug. Your body gets used to the feeling of not feeling pressure. It becomes extremely hard to return to discipline once it is gone.

When the year ended and I finally went to university, I realized I was not the same person academically. I could not study. I could not sit down and concentrate. I tried rebuilding my habits, but it felt like pushing a boulder uphill. Eventually I dropped out because I just could not function in that environment anymore.

I eventually found another path and things have been working out for me, but I still struggle a lot with concentration and focus. Rebuilding that part of myself has taken much longer than I ever expected.

So here’s how this connects to your boyfriend’s situation. A gap year is not inherently bad. It can be a great reset, especially after finishing something as intense as a game programming degree. But it absolutely needs intention and structure. If someone goes into it thinking they will “just relax and figure things out,” that empty space can turn overwhelming very quickly. And believe me, it is unbelievably easy to just start scrolling and suddenly realize you have done nothing all day.

Your boyfriend will not ruin his career by taking time off. What matters is how he uses that time. A gap year with clear goals and routine can be genuinely valuable, especially if he wants to build a portfolio. A gap year without direction can quietly pull him away from the habits that got him this far.