The gap year is a tradition that students around the world love to take advantage of. While students who have just left secondary education have the option of having a gap year.
They tend to be more popular among students who are having a break before university, or are taking some time off after completing their degree before finding a job or embarking on postgraduate studies.
It is obvious why it is more appealing to older students. How many 16 or 17 year olds would be able to head off to the other side of the world on their own for six months, for example. In many countries that isn’t even possible anymore, as education until the age of 18 is mandatory in a growing number of places.
Regardless of when a person decides to take a gap year, the possibilities are endless. We explored some of the best things to do on your year off.
Travel
This is by far the most popular option. The reasoning is often a little skewed, though, as people say they “want to see some of the world” before embarking on a career, apparently forgetting the fact that they have holidays and time off work. Of course, people like to get the ‘high living’ out of the way so they can do sensible but boring things when they start work, like saving for a house.
Some people will head to South East Asia or Australia on a backpacking adventure. Others prefer to head to Tanzania and help a charity to build a village while seeing some of Earth’s greatest landscape.
Both are rewarding in their own way, and a great way to spend a portion of a gap year.
Just Slum It
It can sometimes seem that life, from the age of 13 up to 21, or whenever you leave university, is a constant deluge of pressure to have an essay handed in on time, revise for an exam, and then perform in said circumstances.
The temptation to do nothing for 12 months is definitely a strong one, especially if you are lucky enough still to live at home with your parents. Stay in bed all day, or keep your dressing gown on, don’t bother having a shower, eat last night’s leftovers and watch television shows designed for people at least ten years younger than you.
Get a Job
Hang on a minute, we hear you say, this is supposed to be a gap year! Indeed, however, if you are planning to get a high-pressured job in a law firm, for example, next year, it might be nice to do something relatively free of responsibility before then, both to earn some money and get used to having to get up and go to work on time.
If you are already working, then perhaps you could increase your workload or get a second job to increase your earnings. Internships are excellent for gap year students, too, and they will leave you well placed to get a job in the future with the invaluable experience you will earn.
Whatever your plans for your gap year, ensure you make the most of it!
Rob is a tourism writer with a passion for gap year travel ideas as well as new industry trends, such as the use of campervan locations, and how they can help people see the world on a budget.
So is a gap year the same thing as backpacking travel?
Whats the difference between a gap year and backpacking travel?