Gap Year Blog
The AV experience is unique. Find out why...
How a summer abroad can transform your resume
5 ways traveling abroad this summer can improve your resume and help you land your dream job after college.
5 Gap Year Travel Ideas for the Ultimate Adventure
5 Exhilarating gap year travel ideas to help you start planning your adventure. These are our top 5 adventures to include on your gap year travels.
Why your Gap Year beats being a Fresher
You had a great summer…. a well-deserved break after exams, spent time with friends and maybe even headed off for a week or two in the sunshine. But now you’re feeling slightly daunted by the year ahead. Don’t be!
ExxonMobil and Africa & Asia Venture (AV) Fund Uganda School Project
We’re incredibly proud of how many of our gap year students continue to be involved with their placement community long after they return home. Jessica Lanyon is one such volunteer…
Volunteering in Africa – Video
A snapshot of the AV volunteer experience in Africa. Make an impact, travel, explore, make friends, gain skills – everyone has their own story. What will yours be?
Will you achieve your New Year’s Resolution?
Whether you plan to go to the gym more, learn a new language or volunteer somewhere, the steps toward meeting your new year’s resolution remain the same.
Are you ready to change your life?
There are so many reasons to take a gap year or spend five weeks in another country over the summer. We could talk about the benefits all day but we think it’s better to hear from those who carved out a new path because of their AV experience.
Striking the balance – from snow to sunshine
Whether skiing, snowboarding, working in a chalet, instructing or simply enjoying the apres ski, there is no doubt that snow season offer the opportunity to socialize, make friends and indulge. So, what can young people do to balance this period of extreme energy and expense?
East Africa – the forgotten destination
We do always ask our applicants why they have chosen that particular location as they might be missing out on a hidden, gap year gem! One of these hidden gems is East Africa.
Back to the books? Time to plan your gap year abroad
The summer’s over and millions of young people across the world are back at school, back to saving for college or university and back to planning their future. Now is the time when students should start thinking about whether they want to head straight into the next phase of their education after this academic year or if they’d benefit from some time out.
Post results day plans
While summer feels like it should be the time to relax, forget about studies and enjoy time with friends, that isn’t the reality for students who have spent the past few weeks nervously awaiting their exam results.
Beyond The Great Wall
Everyone from US lawyers to Mark Zuckerberg have been taking Mandarin language classes, as China has emerged as a global superpower. But it’s a challenging language to get to grips with, hence the reason our AVs spend the first month of their gap year in China learning Mandarin intensively.
What do kids in Nepal do after their homework?
These kids show the lengths they go to after the school day, to seek out nature, excitement and a new experience. Let’s watch them head to the bat cave….
Empowering students with language skills
Our gappers teach basic English language through lessons, games, songs and art activities.
Harvard recommends a gap year
Harvard have promoted Gap Years for over 4 decades. Find out why they think it’s such a good idea.
What does the perfect gap year look like?
Once you’ve made the decision to do something different for a few months or even a year, you need to decide where to go and what to do, to ensure you get the most from your time investment.
10 week countdown to summer
There are a number of legitimate reasons that people think a trip abroad is out of their reach, many of which can be easily overcome.
Why you should always turn off your phone when you travel
We’re not joking. Turning it off will transform your travel experience. We promise. Want to know why?
11 Tips for Travelling off the Beaten Path on your Gap Year
If you want something more meaningful and personal than the well-worn tourist path, you’ll have to think differently…
Challenging world views
The view we see in the media is just one perspective.