dreaming of a gap?

School and college is pretty heavy going. You start when you can barely walk or talk, then it’s full-throttle all the way until you hit 18, and are set free into the big bad world.
 
For lots of people, it makes sense and feels right to go straight into university once A-Levels or Highers are finished. For others, it doesn’t. And that’s just as groovy.
 
Maybe uni is on the cards, or you fancy the idea of some sort of higher education in the future, but now’s the time to take a break and try something different.
 
And why not? 

Chances are you don’t have a mortgage, 2.5 children and a white picket fence tying you down, hopefully you’re not tied up with debt and are, to all extents and purposes, free as a bird.
 
Now is the perfect time to get out there and explore the open road. Or any number of other activities you can fill a fab gap year with.
 
The obvious one is to travel. You can travel alongside part-time jobs like bar work, fruit picking or dedicated schemes like camp counsellor, depending on where you head. Maybe you’d rather work full-time for half the year, and spend the rest of the year footloose and fancy free, blowing your cash across the Indonesian archipelago.
 
You do you, we’re not here to judge. What sounds like a nightmare to one person might be someone else’s dream – this is your year to make the most of, so do what feels best for you.
 
Some less obvious options might be:

• An organised gap – working for something like the British Army’s Gap Year Commission. Not only will you get travel, soft skill development and a whole load of experience, but you’ll be paid for the duration.
• Working throughout – not everyone’s idea of a good time, but a year’s worth of experience under your belt might be crucial depending on the industry you’d like to end up in. Think fashion, events management, sports coaching.

 
Remember, it’s your year. Don’t spend it following the crowd – dedicate your time to something worthwhile that will help you grow as a person and put you in a great position by the time 2020 rolls to a close.
 
That way, no one can ever say it was time wasted.
 
Think this might be for you? We’ve got loads more suggestions and ideas to kickstart your gap year planning over on the Push site, so head over for everything from how to budget your dream gap to staying safe.

Author

LUCY HARDING is the Editorial manager for Push. She is an English Literature grad and an MA Publishing student at UCL. She is passionate about international relations and cultural diversity, having worked closely with her university’s Erasmus society to support European students. She also spent a year abroad studying at California State University: Long Beach