How long should my gap year be?

Most people who have taken a gap year will say, “Go for as long as possible”! Before you leave, an 8 month trip may seem like an awfully long time, but you will be surprised by how quickly it comes round to your last week of freedom. When you are away, you can always come home early if you want to, but it can be harder to stay away for longer if you haven’t budgeted for it or if you have set up a new job/course for when you return. When will you ever have another chance like this in your life?

If you are taking a gap year between school and University, you could take up to 14 months before your course starts. Plan your gap year well and you can make the most of this time.

How long you stay away will depend on how long you can afford. But you don’t need to raise all of the money for your whole trip before you leave. Think about breaking your travels up into phases of work and travel. You could even come home for Christmas and a period of work before setting off again.

You could get a proper job in Australia and live there for 6 months. This will earn you great money to then travel on to the Pacific islands with, as well as giving you a great taste of what ‘real life’ would be like in Australia. Hire an apartment and get to know your flatmates well. You could forge great friendships for life.