PackAnimal

Not necessarily.  Most careers have quite a bit of leeway on vacation time.  It's really just how you want to balance your time investments.

College + 2 or more years in a career can take some of your traveling time away.

/me throws opinions 

@Rogue Might be replying too late for the ucas deadline but it's not out of the question to get the best of both worlds. You get ~3 months of summer between each year in uni, plus you'll likely meet friends in a similar financial situation so you can go with them rather than on your own (I'd recommend going with other people).

Also if you're willing to do it, work for your whole gap year whilst living with family, go to uni and have no money problems for the next three years with spare cash for travelling