Posted on Monday, 18 March 2019

The gap year is often regarded as a 'pause' in real life - 12 months spent outside the world of education and work. Yet, if you research and organise your gap year wisely, it can be so much more - giving you skills and experiences that will support a multitude of future life goals. Taking a gap year gives you the opportunity to live and enjoy life on your own terms - to learn and work in a community or setting that is - very probably - completely unfamiliar to you.

Here's our guide to planning your gap year.

What are you going to do?

It goes without saying you need a goal - something that you'll enjoy but you'll also be challenged by. To really learn and grow from your gap year, you need to set yourself a significant test.

You may have a number of goals. It's important to plan how you will attain these. For example, you may need to work for a while in order to pay for a course which in turn could land you a job you really want.

Perhaps there's an aspect of your current skill-set that you feel is lacking. Maybe enhancing this skill will help you advance in a certain career, or simply develop you on a personal level. How could a gap year help you improve?

Most gap years fall under one or more of these categories:

• Career development
• Volunteering
• Paid employment
• General exploring

Where should you do your gap year?

The lure of the great unknown is central to many gap years. Indeed, enjoying a year overseas is a great way to pick up a new language and engage with and learn about a different culture. That said, there are incredible opportunities right here in the UK, too.

Whether you stay at home or head overseas, there are numerous organisations that can help you find work - such as Workaway, Wwoof and HelpX. With these, you invariably work for a few hours a day in exchange for food and board.

Some of these placements can involve tough physical work - which can be particularly demanding if you're not used to it. However, working on a farm, for example, will help you discover your endurance limits. You may be surprised how much hard yakka you can do - and how rewarding it is!

Do you want to see many places - or immerse yourself in one location?

You may want to explore every country in South America, for example, or you may decide to stay in a single village for an entire year. Both options - and many in between - are valuable in their own ways.

Keeping in touch with your parents

It's important for both you and your parents to establish how often - and by what means - you will stay in contact. You may be having a great time while on your gap year, but spare a thought for mums, dads and guardians who may worry about you.

Questions to ask yourself:

• Would I like to live with a host family?
• Would I like to learn a new language?
• Would I like more adventure - such as a backpacking trip?

Planning

Your budget will greatly impact the kind of gap year you have. Do you have the funds to join an established gap year programme? Or do you only have enough for a shoestring budget travel adventure? Or, do you plan to work to fund one or more trips?

Bear in mind that by being self-funded, you won't have to rely so much on the 'Bank of Mum and Dad' - which in turn could mean if you want to extend your gap year you would be under less pressure to return home (because you would be, to a degree, your own master).

Things to think about:

• Do you want a very structured gap year?
• Do you want to be able to change your plans as you go?
• Do you enjoy your own company?
• Do you thrive in the company of others?

Mix and match

You may wish to join a gap year program for a few months, then come up with your own plans for the remainder.

Education prospects

It's worth considering what you'll do when you return from your gap year. Many people arrange college or university courses for when they get back. Others plan to gain work experience, perhaps using some of the skills they have acquired during their gap year. And there are some who admit they don't know what they want to do when they return - and leave things open ended.

Pressure to go into education can come from many quarters: parents, friends, teachers and society itself. There may be fears over a 'loss of momentum' by taking a gap year - particularly from mums, dads and guardians. But higher education opportunities will still be there when you get back - and your chances of getting onto some courses may be helped by the experience gained in your gap year.

If you are set on a particular college or university course, consider if you should apply before, during or after your year of adventure.

Independent gap years

If you've spent all your life living within the structure of school and the security of family, it can be tempting to join an organised gap year. However, planning at least part of your gap year independently offers a number of benefits. You'll grow in confidence because you'll need to take care of yourself, and going it alone will be considerably cheaper. However, you will need to spend more time and effort researching and planning your trip. If you plan to work with vulnerable communities or those in developing countries, be sure your chosen establishment is ethnically responsible.

Gap year programs

Gap year programs can be costly, but they may be of genuine benefit to you if they are focussed on a topic of interest to you, or that will help your future educational and career prospects.

A gap year program can take many forms, but there will be limits to what you can do on a day to day basis: you'll likely be involved in a set program of activities. Before you join any program, find out what a typical day would look like and if there are any extra costs - such as flights and insurance. Many gap year programs are very well organised, but they are often set up to turn a profit - one of the reasons they will drain your funds much quicker than an independent gap year.

Voluntourism

Some gap years have the characteristics of voluntourism, which as a phenomenon has become more heavily scrutinised in recent years. As a young person who has spent most of their lives in relative comfort, you may well find you do not have the skills, experience or fortitude to help those in extreme poverty or with serious physical or mental health issues.

Resources for your gap year:

https://www.gapwork.com/ - gap year jobs and volunteering.

https://www.goabroad.com/volunteer-abroad - volunteer project data base.

https://wwoofinternational.org/ - live, work and learn on "organic farms and smallholdings with people who want to share their lifestyles, teach new skills and welcome volunteer help."

https://ivsgb.org/ - International Voluntary Service.

https://www.helpx.net/ - work on farms in exchange for food and board.

Don't want to go for a whole year?

You may not want to go away for the full 365 days and feel you can gain the experiences you want on shorter trips. Going on shorter adventures can still give you the satisfaction of enveloping yourself in foreign culture. You may also learn some things about your own personality and life goals. Going down this route any also mean less upheaval for you and your life at home.

If this is the way you want to go, then it's best to take out an annual travel insurance policy that will provide you with protection should something go wrong while you're away.

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