Gap Years explained
After you finish A Levels, you have many options ahead of yourself - you are no longer obliged to stay in education. A lot of people go on to study in university, but there are many other options, and another popular one is to take a gap year. Not everyone will want to ruin the “flow” of their time in full time education by taking a gap year, but it is definitely something to consider if you want to gain some new experiences and have a break from 13 years of full time education before going back into a few more.
There’s lots of things you can do if you decide to take a gap year including but not limited to: travelling, taking on full time work, volunteering and possibly exploring any hobbies you have not previously had enough time to experience. All of these things will also provide you with skills and experiences that you may not have had exposure to in this way before such as independence, organisation, money management and even just handling a new form of freedom. These will not only prepare you for uni (if you decide to go) but also for the adult and working world.
There are also programmes run by big firms such as Deloitte for students who decide to take gap years - if you decide to go on one of these it could be a great way of getting some valuable work experience, an excellent networking opportunity and if you perform well and build a good enough rapport, a possible job offer for when you graduate alongside many other benefits such as bursaries from some firms whilst you’re at university. If you do want to do programmes like this, you have to apply from early on as they are often in high demand and some firms’ applications close once they’ve reached their quota.
Travelling is another reason many people take gap years - many people work for part of the year and use the money they earn to travel. This is a great opportunity to simply experience more of the world, but it can also be a bit daunting to go from being in school full-time to having complete control over your day with nothing to give you structure.
Taking gap years also provides an opportunity to retake your A-Levels, either by studying for another year and reappearing as a private candidate in the summer, or by sitting the exams in the autumn. It allows you to improve your grades if you need to, and also reapply to university with your new grades if that is what you want. This will be especially popular after this year being the second consecutive year of exams being cancelled due to the pandemic, so if your grades have been affected by the pandemic, this is an option to consider.
However, there are some cons to taking a gap year. It can be incredibly scary being thrust into a world where you are completely in control with no full-time school to serve as a routine. In addition, if you are planning on retaking exams, there is a high chance that you will receive little to no help from your school and may have to appear as a private candidate, which means studying for your A-Levels alone and applying to universities, apprenticeships or jobs alone. You also have to consider whether it is worth it to take a gap year - if you have no plans for the year, no jobs lined up or travelling planned, are you simply wasting a year of your life? Whilst taking a break is important, it can also be incredibly detrimental to your mental health to not have goals and aims or things to work towards for a long period of time like a year.
Whatever you choose to do, taking a gap year can add some variety to your CV, helping you to stand out to future employers. Remember: you don’t have to limit yourself to doing one thing, you can do a few things, or everything! It’s entirely your choice. There are so many options out there, all it takes is a bit of research. It's also so important to take a break - if all you want is to travel for a year then go ahead and do it! The world is your oyster!
