Gap Year: How to Create the Trip of a Lifetime

The idea of a gap year conjures up quite an image. Surely the most exciting, nerve-wracking, tiring, and exhilarating 12 months of a young person’s life; it’s no wonder why they’ve become increasingly popular over recent years. Probably the best aspect of a gap year is that they can pan out to be anything you want them to be; volunteering, gaining experience for your chosen career, even working full time to fund the next leg of the trip. It’s a time that can be tailored to your every whim. Exciting!

Gap Year: How to Create the Trip of a Lifetime

Gap Year: How to Create the Trip of a Lifetime

There are now thousands of options that you can explore while you’re away. While it was once considered a ‘finding yourself’ exercise for those with money to burn, the gap year has evolved. Now, it’s less about the spiritual and more about achieving something tangible.

If you’re interested in learning while you’re away, consider taking an education-themed gap year. Pick a skill you’re interested in acquiring (such as skiing, cooking or diving). Or, for those more academically inclined; you could learn art history in the galleries of Italy or archaeology at the pyramids of Egypt; learning a new language also remains an ever-popular option.

If you’re thinking of applying to university after your year out, studying something related to your degree programme will impress admissions tutors to no end, and you’ll get to feel like a smarty pants in front of your fellow students when you instantly know what a lecturer is talking about, perhaps even adding an unknown comment or two!

For those interested in helping the less fortunate or perhaps working in the third sector in the future, volunteering with a charity may be of particular interest. There are a range of volunteering options out there to suit your interests, including humanitarian, conservation or even medical ventures, and you’ll get a warm glow out of helping others instead of sticking to the traditional route of getting a tan and partying!

Sports fans and active types may enjoy a gap year themed around sporting activity. There are many gap year programmes available to teach budding sportsman how to ski, surf and horse ride. Beginners can opt for a simple course teaching the basic skills, but if you’re a bit more advanced than that, you could consider a teaching course. Some of these courses will even have you teaching tourists and getting paid for it, so it’s worthwhile if you were considering working whilst you are on holiday.

This brings us neatly to our final point, a working trip. Gap years can be expensive, and many opt to fund themselves by working their way around the globe. Consider doing something related to your future career; internships are becoming increasingly popular, and look fabulous on your CV, or opt for a simpler job that will affords you the flexibility to move around as you please. Fruit-picking, childcare, bar work or farming are all good options, and some employers will even sort your accommodation out as well, which can be great for those looking to save a bit of money while gaining incredible work experience.

Ultimately, what you choose to do on your gap year is entirely up to you, and you need to think carefully about what you want to get out of it. Whether you want CV-enhancing experiences that’ll impress admissions tutors or employers, or simply want to get away from it all and learn something new, there’s something out there for everyone. Bon Voyage!