Gap Year

This is a year out between school and university. It can be an exciting opportunity for a 'once in a lifetime' experience or just an opportunity to earn some money to take to university. In recent years, about 20% of Truro School sixth formers have not gone direct to college or university on leaving school. Most of these chose to defer entry when making their initial UCAS application in the U6 and a few decided not to apply until after the results.

 

Most admissions tutors seem to welcome applications from those who have had or are planning a gap year. This may be because such students;

 

• arrive at the university older, more mature and more independent
• and therefore settle down to work more quickly.
• Bring with them experiences that benefit the educational process

 

However, there are a few departments that are less keen on applications for deferred entry (ie entry a year after making an application) so our advice is to contact the department to ask their policy on this before you apply.

 

Some sixth formers apply for deferred entry but never get organised to do the things they wanted to do in their gap year, so they have tended to drift around and waste the year. Before you embark on the process try to assess the realism of your plans. Many fall foul of the simple matter of how to fund hugely ambitious travel plans.

 

For this reason, it may well be better to make use one of the many companies and charities that organise gap year opportunities.

Gap Year Advantages

Some of these might include:

 

• to become more mature, self-sufficient, confident and able to cope with university life. (The 'drop out' rate at university for those who took a Gap Year after independent schooling is about 1% compared to 11% of those who go direct to university.)
• to gain first hand experience of possible careers,
• to travel and to acquire key life skills,
• to explore the world outside school and home, and to meet new and different people,
• to work and save so as to become financially more independent at university
• to do some socially useful work, such as voluntary, community or project work at home or abroad,

because a well planned Gap Year is attractive to some admissions tutors and to very many future and prospective employers.

 

Gap Year Disadvantages

These might include:

 

• leaving university and starting employment a year later,
• a break in academic work and routine might make it harder to get back in to academic study at university.
• plans can be unrealistic or not achieved because of poor planning. This can result in a frustrating year spent at home.
• some university departments do not look on the idea favourably. This seems to be especially true of maths departments.

it can be very expensive if your plans include going abroad.

Gap Year - Suggested Activities

The general areas for a Gap Year include:

1. Paid work at home

The Year in Industry offers a year of paid employment and is very well regarded by universities and future employers .

2. Paid work abroad

Some schools in Australia, New Zealand or South Africa employ Gap Assistants.  You could seek employment in order to practice a language by working in Spain, France or Germany. There is work with young people in Camp America or you could do do chalet or hotel work in the ski season in France, etc.
Try looking at www.sportlived.co.uk

3. Study at home

Some do Art Foundation, cookery or drama courses before university.

4. Study abroad

There are several organisations that offer language or art history courses, for example.

5. Voluntary work at home

The Rank Organisation offers training and community work in the UK; there is a variety of short, residential opportunities in environmental and conservation work with National Trust and other organisations etc.  Community Service Volunteers (CSV) offers interesting opportunities.

 

6. Voluntary work abroad

There are many organisations offering a huge variety of opportunities in teaching, social work, conservation, work in less developed countries etc.

 

7. Travelling and Trekking

 

8. Sports

You could qualify as an instructor in a sport such as skiing, snow-boarding, sailing, canoeing, climbing, diving etc.  There are several local, national and international organisations that offer such opportunities.

 

Others

Details of all the above and general advice can be found in the Careers Centre.

Internet Portals for the main organisations can be found through:

www.yearoutgroup.org - the major 'umbrella' for the main organisations

www.worldwidevolunteering.org.uk

www.gapyear.com

www.realgap.co.uk

www.woodyswebwatch.com