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not sure whether to go to uni
Hello, I'm Jay. At the moment, I am slowly sorting out University paperwork and such, but i'm still not sure whether to go. The main thing that worries me is my ability to succeed on the coarse. At college, I found that A Level courses... Read More- helping my son decide what to do next
I am helping my son decide what to do next. After strong science / maths A level results, he got a place at Uni, but has failed his second year. Rather than re-take, he wants a change from full time study, and he wants to look at a... Read More - like to go travelling can you help me?
I've recently just finished my AS exams and I don't think I am going to be returning to 6th form next year because I feel like I don't benefit fully from sitting in a classroom to learn. I would really like to be able to travel somewhere... Read More - not sure about what to do next...
Hiya, I'm 21 years old and currently working full time as an Assistant Restaurant Manager, but am taking some time out to go traveling. I never went to uni and i didn't really want to. I'm not really happy with my line of work at the... Read More
Gap Years
There’s no set age to take a gap year
29th November 2012, 11:16
So many people still don't have much of a clue when it comes to gap year jobs and gap year programmes: they think they're just for those who want to put off starting university for another twelve months. That might be true in some cases, but there's much, much more to taking a gap year than that.
There’s no set time to take a gap year. After all, you might not want to go to university in the first place. Some people finish school and go on a gap year programme while others wait much longer to take up a gap year job while they're changing careers.
Of course, the majority of people taking a gap year are school leavers who want to invest a certain amount of time preparing for adult life, getting to know themselves and doing the sort of things that make interesting reading on their CV.
Whether they’re planning to go on to university when they return, or to head straight into the world of work, the more interesting the description of their gap year, the better the chance of having their CV read all the way through.
As for those with an established career path who are looking to change direction, they tend to refer to their gap year as a "sabbatical". After many years of sinking into the same old routine for years, day in, day out, their gap year can be invigorating, to say the least.
It's the chance to get out of the rut they've been sinking into for so long and to rediscover not just themselves, but a whole new world that's been changing without them noticing.
But what to do during a gap year? There's only so long you can sit on a beach enjoying the sunshine. Obviously, there is nothing wrong with that: after all that's what people tend to do in the very short time they have to enjoy a holiday each year. But even with the best of intentions, it's difficult to sit on a beach more than a few months at a time. Isn’t it? One day, we’ll try it, and let you know.
That's why so many people start off on their gap year with their time already planned: whether it's a volunteer work rebuilding a village destroyed by an earthquake, or teaching English in South Korea... or almost anything else you can think of, it's possible to have everything organised down to the last detail before you pick up your passport and head off to the airport.
Gap years, these days, are big business - and specialist companies catering for both young and old clients go all out to make sure the gap year programmes they provide leave nothing to chance.
