Why go?
You’ve finished school, and are now faced with a multitude of prospects. Start Uni straight away, or take a year out and explore the world? Some would argue this is the best time to take a gap year, before paying back loans, mortgages and jobs get in the way. Or perhaps you’re thinking of going before the final year of your degree, and your travels will be somewhat related to your course of study? If you’re waiting to retake exams, this could also be a good time to go. Whatever the reasons, and there are many, there are certain advantages and disadvantages to be weighed up.
Pros
- A gap year of any sort will look good on your CV. Prospective employers will see you as independent, open minded, and cultured.
- If you’re undecided about your career path a year of working or travelling abroad can give you some ideas.
- You’ll learn a lot, in terms of gaining knowledge of another culture and perhaps even another language.
- You’ll gain confidence and become more independent.
- You’ll learn how to manage your finances.
Cons
- Money. Gap years can be expensive (not even counting the opportunity cost) and you could end up in a lot of debt.
- Coming home and adjusting to the routine of studying can be a hard thing to do.
- Your parents may not be totally enthused by the idea of their beloved child trekking around the world.
- You may be nervous at the prospect of leaving home for the unknown.
- Not all gap years are productive, and with more and more students doing them employers are slowly becoming less impressed by them.
- You’ll be a year behind your friends
- You may experience a culture shock, and witness upsetting scenes
All the above points are valid, however there are ways some of the disadvantages can be remedied. You can fund your gap year, either by sponsorship or working for a few months. Just because it’s called a gap ‘year’ doesn’t mean you must be away for 12 months. It can be as long or as short as you like, and take you as far as Indonesia or as near as France. Above all you need to decide whether a gap year really is for you, whether you’re likely to benefit and enjoy your travels or whether the idea of missing your home comforts sends shivers down your spine.\n\nWhere to start?
If you’ve decided you’re off, first of all think about whether you want to arrange your travel independently or whether you’d rather use a gap year agency. The latter can make the enormous quantity of choices seem a little less overwhelming; they would also deal with contacting overseas organisations saving you the hassle. There is of course a fee to pay for this service, but this also includes insurance and help if anything goes wrong while you’re away. On the other hand, travelling independently means you’re more likely to get off the trodden path of many a tourist.
If you decide to structure your trip yourself then help is at hand. Go to the library and consult travel books, there are also many books about gap years (a particularly good one is Taking a Gap Year by Susan Griffin, Vacation Work 1999). Travel agents like STA travel specialise in trips for students, and offer discounts for the under 26’s. They have their own itineraries and round the world flight packages but you can also build your own. www.gapyear.com is a valuable web resource too. Finally, nothing beats talking to people who’ve been on gap years themselves, ask them how they funded them, who they travelled with, and what they would do differently the second time round.
Get health insurance, visas if needed (check here www.thamesconsular.com), and an International Student Identity Card to get reduced travel fares.
Some ideas
You might already have a concise picture of what you want to do, is it volunteering with children, conservation work, teaching, or just seeing the world? Below are some adventures people undertook and might aid you in deciding:
- Looking at the effects of pollution on coral reefs in Tanzania
- Witnessing the eruptions of geysers in Iceland and swimming in a hot spring while snow falls
- Visiting the magnificent temples of Angkor Watt in Cambodia
- Staying with a local family in Madagascar and trying the native cuisine
- Helping out at an orphanage in Ecuador in exchange for free board and food
- Teaching English abroad, there is great demand in the Far East especially in countries like South Korea and Japan
- Doing the Camino de Santiago religious pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in Northern Spain and witness the emotion and tears of the worshippers
- Au pairing in the south of France and soaking up the atmosphere of the luxurious Cote D’Azur
- Do a camel trek in the Flinders Ranges National Park, Australia\n\nBe responsible
Finally a note on responsible travel. It’s all very well expanding your horizons by travelling to far flung places, but think about the impact of thousands of gap year students landing in India and Thailand each year to ‘find themselves’. There are the obvious ecological issues and also cultural ones, respect the tradition and religion of each country you visit.
If you’re travelling in the third world, just the fact that you’re a tourist will suggest to the locals that you’re rich, and compared to them you are. Don’t encourage begging as this practice has serious repercussions in itself (children sent out to beg by adults instead of going to school, and most horrifyingly in some parts of the world children are maimed to encourage sympathy and donations from passers by) but don’t turn a blind eye either. Have a look at these websites for some useful tips: www.lonelyplanet.com and www.intrepidtravel.com
