General gap year advice

If you’re planning a Gap Year, your head is probably spinning with hundreds of questions. How will you raise the funds to travel? Which countries are crying out for football coaches? Where can you buy the cheapest bowl of noodles? Time to stop fretting, and start packing… iGapYear’s ultimate guide is your shortcut to a totally rewarding Gap Year.

We may be a little biased, but when in your life will you ever be handed this opportunity again? A Gap Year gives you confidence, language skills, and insights into other cultures and ideologies. Your studies might equip you with the ability to calculate the acceleration of a meteorite travelling towards Bangor, but your Gap Year gives you the skills to cope with anything life throws at you. The challenges of another language, new etiquette, and independent travel are their own reward. If you can afford the time and cash to take a Gap Year, don’t miss out. It will probably teach you more than twenty years of schooling ever could.
But don't just take our word for it, read what David did after being turned down for his Veterinary course at University - an unplanned and unforgettable gap year in Africa.

You may be surprised at the options available. You can work in the UK or overseas; you can go on a group package or book your flights independently. You can take a voluntary position, or look for paid employment to help fund your degree. There are hundreds of positions listed on iGapYear, and dozens of different things to do on your Gap Year. Here’s a taster:

• Sports Coaching
• Monitoring sea turtles
• Re-homing big game
• Teaching English
• Providing childcare to poverty-stricken communities
• Joining Surf School
• Training as a Safari Field Guide
• Helping rebuild homes, hospitals and walls
• Looking after baby orangutans

You can opt to pay a company to arrange your placement from start to finish – prices usually include accommodation and food – or you can arrange the work independently. If you want to train beforehand you could book a place in TEFL or surf school and then take your chances to find a paid position. Fruit picking, waitressing and teaching are popular student jobs in New Zealand, Australia and Asia. Many Gappers incorporate a stint of paid work in an itinerary that takes in whole continents. (Read about Round-The-World tickets.)

Most gappers squeeze their Gap Year between A-levels and university, or head off straight after university (if finances are in a fit state). This is the best time to plan a Gap Year for many reasons: you don’t have an employer to ask, you don’t yet have a mortgage or family commitments, and you’re young and (hopefully) fit. But taking a Gap Year later in your career is often possible. Many employers are supportive of the idea of overseas work experience; the NHS allows staff to take unpaid career breaks of up to 2 years in order to study, travel, or take a voluntary position abroad.

Taking a year out between college and university will bring you back with renewed confidence and – often – a clearer vision for your future. It’s easy to defer your university offers through UCAS, and your Gap Year will actually improve your CV and job prospects, giving you a head start with employers when you graduate.

Many university boards look favourably on Gap Year students, who have demonstrated single-minded purpose and independence. Statistics show that students who have taken a Gap Year are less likely to drop out after year 1. Employers, too, will respond positively to Gap Years, especially if they are related to your chosen career. Try to find an opportunity that will provide relevant experience for your future – ask your college teachers for feedback on your ideas.

First decide what you want to do, and price it up. Include airfares, daily living expenses (Lonely Planet provides information in its online country guides), and accommodation. For a multi-stop trip, Round-the-World’s are surprisingly inexpensive, starting at £800. For a placement package, you’ll need between £3000 and £5000; but there are lots of shorter excursions and adventures that cost less. If you travel somewhere with the aim of getting a job, you could actually come home in credit. How will you raise funds? Many Gappers work at home until they’ve saved enough for their adventure. You can embark on a fundraising programme, shave off all your bodily hair, or bathe in beans to get funds for a voluntary position. There are also several companies and charities offering Gap Year grants: they’re quiet about it, but a little research could yield rewards. Read iGapyear's saving money & fundraising section for more information on what your gap year will cost and how to raise funds through grants, sponsorship and fundraising.

Fancy sipping mojitos in Cuba or trekking in Nepal? Use our Country Guides to read up on world destinations. Some Gap opportunities (such as teaching English) are easier to come by in certain countries (like Korea): cricketers would naturally head for South Africa and conservationists for Malaysia.

iGapYear is a comprehensive resource packed with information on every Gap Year destination and plenty of opportunities from our advertisers. Read more content using the links opposite, or click Destinations to find out more about the countries.

We think so, but you need to be aware of the risks. Read more about whether you should consider travelling alone.