What is a gap year? A ‘gap year’ is a period of time, usually an academic year, when a student takes a break from formal education. It is often spent travelling or working. People used to think that taking a gap year was negative. In the past you took a gap year if you had to retake exams or had problems between finishing school and starting higher education and then starting a career. But now, universities positively encourage a gap year and employers are happy to give jobs to students who take a gap year. Employers and universities want to see evidence of enterprise, maturity and commitment both in and outside formal education. Young people in formal education usually take a gap year when they are about 18 years old, before going to university. They can also be taken at a different time, for example, by someone who wants to break up their degree course or to do something different before a postgraduate course. Many gap year students choose to do voluntary work. Lots of gap year students just want to see more of the world. Popular gap year activities for young people looking for adventure include surfing in Hawaii, wake boarding in Italy, kite surfing in Egypt or bungee jumping in New Zealand. Most students who are planning a gap year take on a part-time job to save up for the trip. Some young people look for work when they get to their destination if they need to earn money to pay for accommodation, food and their other expenses. Popular jobs include bar work, fruit picking and being a tour guide. A gap year doesn’t have to be a full year travelling or having adventures: some students travel for three or six months then work for the rest of the year. Julie Taylor graduated from Hull University. She now works as a manager in an international company. Julie tells us about her gap year: During my gap year, I taught in a primary school in Kenya. I spent four months teaching children aged 8 to 18 in English, Art and Physical Education and I coached the school's netball team. As well as working, I also travelled the country and even climbed Mount Kenya. The trip was one of the best experiences of my life. I’m very happy that I didn’t head off to university straight after school because I learnt a lot about myself in my year out. I worked to save up for the trip, which showed my employer that I had good self-motivation and organizational skills, which are essential in any job. The British government has recently put up tuition fees for university degree courses. Students may have to pay many thousands of pounds a year for their education. How will these changes affect the gap year for future British students? Post-reading tasks. Check your understanding: true or false Circle True or False for these sentences. 1. A gap year is a time to take a break from your studies to travel or work. True False 2. Universities and employers think that taking a gap year is a good idea. True False 3. If you want to take a gap year, you must do it between school and university True False 4. Most students ask their parents to finance their gap year. True False 5. Taking a gap year was a positive experience for Julie Taylor. True False