puuhaku

Puuhaku is a Finnish noun that denotes a period during which a person is not engaged in formal work or studies, often chosen as a deliberate break between major life steps. The term is used informally and in educational guidance to describe time spent away from regular routines for personal projects, travel, volunteering, skill-building, or rest.

In practice, puuhaku is commonly taken by students between secondary education and higher education, or by jobseekers between positions. The length varies from several months to a year or longer, depending on personal goals and resources. It is typically planned rather than spontaneous, and may involve travel, volunteering, internships, or independent study.

Etymology: The word is formed from puuha, meaning to keep busy or to do things, with a noun-forming suffix. Its usage overlaps with the English concepts of a gap year or sabbatical in some contexts, but puuhaku is a distinctly Finnish expression.

See also: gap year, välivuosi, sabbatical.