How to make the most of your Gap Year

Not everybody will listen to the advice given to them about gap years. One of the most important things is to be prepared, and sort it out early. The earlier you get on top of this, the more eager you appear and the more chance you’ll have of beating others to get there first. Many of us have taken gap years to either work, to travel or to ‘find ourselves’. It’s a year that (as many know) can go far too quickly. So it’s fairly obvious that you need to make the most of it. The big question is what do you want to get out of your gap year?

Internships

A good place to start would be looking for your dream internship. I’d like to think you’re studying for a reason; if you want a career in the subject you’re studying then why not aim for the best possible thing you could do? Think of the top organisations/people in your industry and hassle them. You’d be surprised at your luck if you showed plenty of ambition & determination for a work placement.



You can gain a vast amount of quality experience in the industry which can inevitably help with job applications once you’ve eventually finished your studies. Nobody is stopping you from getting a placement apart from yourself. If you really want it, you can go and get it! Don’t apply for 1 or 2 placements though; make sure you branch out and apply for lots of things you wouldn’t ever have imagined of being accepted for- the more doors you bang on, the more chance of somebody opening.

Traveling Abroad

This would be a great chance to see the world. Traveling can open your eyes as you start to see it from a different perspective. Sure, we have the internet nowadays, so we can see any place we’d want to in the world through a screen. But it doesn’t beat the experience of walking on foreign lands, living life in a different culture, trying different foods and generally seeing how other people live their lives. It may make you feel lucky to live the life you lead.
You can buy round the world tickets, which do exactly what they say on the tin. This way, you really can stretch to different corners of the planet. Planning a trip is highly recommended, so you know roughly where you’ll be going and that you will be doing it safely.

Volunteering Abroad

By volunteering you’d receive the same sort of benefits as traveling, plus a bit more. You have the opportunity to see the world and – like previously – live your life in different cultures, making you see the world from a different perspective. You could do almost anything when volunteering; there are people from much more deprived countries that are so grateful for help & support from students. Whether you were good at sports or are training to be a doctor- you can help people.

I think one of the most beneficial things about volunteering is that firstly, you see the world, and secondly, you feel rewarded from the good deeds that you do for others who really appreciated it. Companies such as Projects Abroad UK offer opportunities to help others in loads of different countries and many different sectors. You could find yourself coaching football to 6-17 year olds in Argentina or volunteering in Nepal as a carer or even a teacher- the possibilities truly are endless! There’s a volunteering opportunity out there for everybody.



So if you’re taking a gap year have a really good think about your options; what do you want to get out of it? Develop your career in the right internship? See the World? Help others? This could be a life-changing year for you if you approach it with the right kind of attitude!

Resource box:

UCAS
Take a look at gap year recommendations from UCAS.

Channel 4
Sitcom about interns taking a placement that is completely fake- but not to their knowledge.

BBC
Advice on whether a gap year is for you.