Gap Year
What is a Gap Year?
A Gap Year is taking some time out before embarking on your next steps- it doesn't necessarily have to be a 'year' but this is the traditional length. This has traditionally meant doing something different, perhaps in a different country, but could be taken at any stage of your studies to embark on a variety of different activities including travelling, volunteering, getting some work experience, pursuing an interest or business idea.
It is a chance to save money, gain new skills and experience for your CV, develop independence, and have time to consider your next steps whether that is employment, an apprenticeship or higher education.
A gap year might be right for you if you want to….
Increase your independence and transferable skills by navigating the adventure of a new way of life. You will learn to adapt to a new lifestyle and solve problems along the way. This could mean building relationships with new people, making arrangements for travel, managing your time or finances.
Gain work experience and add value to your CV. You could also tailor your experiences to your future career or area of study so that you have some relevant experience to talk about in applications and interviews.
Save money as depending on your gap year activity, you could have the chance to earn some money towards your higher education or future plans.
Give you time for deciding on your next steps e.g. whether to go to university or not, and taking a gap year might be valuable time to have a break from education and assess your options for the future.
Reality check
While a gap year can be an enjoyable and valuable experience for many, you should be prepared to consider some of the possible drawbacks…
You could become distracted from your plan - you could find that you are having such a good time in a new environment that you lose focus on your longer term career/educational goals.
It can be expensive - some gap year activities/travel can involve more costs than you expect and leave you in a worse financial situation than when you started.
It could be hard to “sell” to admissions tutors/employers - without careful consideration and a plan about what you want to achieve, it can be hard to justify the benefits of your gap year in an application.
You might lose momentum- taking time out of studies might make it more difficult for some to return to good study habits. Doing something relevant to your studies on your gap year might help to maintain focus.
What to do next?
Consider what you want to achieve from your gap year - think carefully about how you are going to structure your gap year, what skills, experience and knowledge you want to gain, and how you might justify this to potential universities or employers. Maybe speak to a careers adviser to help.
Do your research - consider the options available to you for what you want to gain from your gap year. Look into different opportunities available and assess them in terms of cost, length of time, travel arrangements etc.
Organise your gap year essentials - particularly if you are wanting to travel abroad, you will need to find out what costs and paperwork are required to travel e.g. passport, insurance, visa, vaccinations etc.
Budget - do some calculations before finalising your plans to make sure that you can cover any required costs involved with travel, accommodation, paperwork etc. If you are planning to earn money on your gap year, will it be enough to cover your expenses and living costs?
Defer your place at university - if you haven’t done so already, make sure that you are able to defer any university offer and be ready to justify on any application why you have decided to take a gap year.
More information and support for gap years