Gap Years

There are lots of places to go and things you can do when you take a GAP YEAR. Here are a few suggestions to get you thinking about what you might like to do:

·         Volunteer
You could do conservation work in the rain forest in Brazil; plant trees in Australia; survey fauna and flora in Africa.
·         Care giving and medical
Work with the Red Cross, look after children and adults or help the disadvantaged in Europe or South America.
·         Teach 
You could work as a teaching assistant in Malaysia or Teach English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) in Japan.
·         Outdoor education and camps
Work at an Outward Bound or similar centre or at a summer camp in the USA and Canada.
·         Go on an expedition
Sailing, canoeing, trekking, mountaineering, skiing, desert travel.
·         Courses and cultural exchanges
Sport, languages, art, cookery, drama.
·         Work
Paid work, work experience, internships.
Link your choice to your future profession or course of study. For example, if you are going to be a doctor, you could take a medical or caring position to prepare you for your chosen profession or adopt the opposite view, that if you are going to spend your life in a profession, do something different to gain another perspective.
Taking a gap year can be a very exciting thing to do, but it also takes a lot of thought and consideration before making a final decision.
Read this article - http://icould.com/article/gap-year-experiences/   Then good starting places include: http://www.yearoutgroup.org/   and   http://www.gapadvice.org/
Positive rewards from a Gap Year include –
Build confidence
You’ll experience living away from home, learning to look after yourself and coping with everyday situations on your own.
Learn new skills
Deciding what to do with your year, working out a budget for travel, organising your itinerary, working as a team and trying not to run out of money at the other end of the world!
Help others
Use your time to help others and make their lives better. This is a great thing to put on your CV as well.
 
Relax
After all those exams chill out and recharge.
 
But negative issues to be considered are –
 
Time
A gap year adds up to the length of your higher education so bear it in mind if you’re choosing to study a long course after your return.  If you are postponing going to uni to take a gap, find out what your options are.
 
Continuity
Some mathematics and science tutors do advise against taking a gap believing that study should not be interrupted. Luckily they don’t all share this view so discuss it with your careers adviser and chosen higher education institution first.
 
Costs
An extra year without wages and the cost of travelling to faraway places can be expensive so always check your budget and make sure you can afford your higher education before your year out. Talk with parents and Careers staff.