Gap Year — What Can I Do In A Gap Year
The opportunities during your Gap Year are endless and taking time out between A-levels and higher education or from higher education to work is becoming increasingly popular. Gap Year Volunteer Programmes are both educational and fun. Some projects will expect you to raise your entry fee and will give you ideas on how to do that. A Gap Year Travel Insurance policy will cover you for any medical emergency during your trip for up to 18 months.
You could:
- Be a volunteer in the UK or Overseas
- Be on a career break and wish to ‘give something back’
- Live abroad on a Cultural Exchange
- Join a structured Work Experience opportunity
- Learn a new skill on a Course in the UK or Overseas
- Participate in an Expedition
People on a career break will be able to offer valuable experience to the people they mentor or train and both parties gain a great deal.
Taking a gap year is your chance to learn and develop new skills, gain work experience, meet different people and perhaps travel to parts of the world you hadn’t considered before.
Both universities and employers now recognise the benefits of taking a gap year but they will expect to see some evidence that you have spent the time positively and not allowed yourself to drift.
It is best to give yourself plenty of time to plan your gap year. Firstly think about what you want to achieve during the year and how this may help you in the future for example if you are going on to a Modern Language degree then a course/programme that improves your languages will obviously impress your admissions tutor. Secondly some programmes are very popular and the earlier you apply for them the greater the chance of you getting a place.
Most universities and places of higher education do look on adventure travel trips positively, but there are some subjects such as art & design & applied sciences where it is more difficult to defer. If after you have received you’re A-level results you then decide to defer please advice your university as soon as possible. You can still apply for a place at University/Higher Education during your gap year.
