How much money do you need for your gap year?

What do you want to do?

The first thing you need to do is work out what you really, really want to spend your gap year doing. You may not get the opportunity ever again in your life to just take up to a year out and do whatever. So make sure you choose something that you will forever look back on and feel good about.

iGapyear has hundreds of volunteer projects, sports courses, TEFL jobs, work placements etc – have a good look through these options and see what inspires you. Don’t rush your choice. Do some research and make sure you have chosen well. Read up on companies, projects or courses and see what other people say about them.

Can you afford a gap year, should you go?

Now that you know what you want to do, you need to give a lot of thought to what things cost. If you have a dream and it is going to cost a lot, then you may have to compromise on something to achieve it. It is thought that the average gap year costs £4-6,000. This may seem like a very high figure, but you will be surprised at how much money it is possible to raise. If you’re worried that you’re not going to manage to raise your amount, don’t be! Thousands of others like you manage it year after year.

The cost of your gap year will depend on where you choose to go. Flying to the Far East will cost more than travelling to Eastern Europe, but then you will only need £5 a day to live off in the Far East, whereas the cost of living in Europe is much higher. If money is a problem, then think about where you are going carefully – but don’t let it stop you!

Better to be realistic than to give up?

It is not going to be an easy task to raise your money, so if you don’t think you’ve got the grit and determination to slog through a boring job or run a fund raising marathon wearing jelly wellies, you may choose to compromise on your dream – go for a few weeks instead of a few months; choose a different country with a cheaper cost of living; or take some paid work abroad to fund the latter part of your trip. It’s much better to be realistic about what you think you can achieve than to risk giving up, but do aim high as we bet you will surprise yourself.

Just remember, the skills and “character shaping” experience of your gap year doesn’t start when you step on the plane. It starts now. You are now fully responsible for your own life, the path you are going to take and the means to realise your dreams. If you launch into a dedicated money saving, fundraising phase and reach your once unbelievable target of £5,000, then that is a real achievement in itself, and definitely something that will impress both universities and future employers.