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 that most of your friends have left for university, you’re feeling slightly daunted by the year ahead.
Don’t be!
Why taking a gap year is the best decision you’ve ever made
1. Confidence. It’s the one word we hear time and time again from our returning volunteers. Sometimes who you were at school isn’t the whole story. You know there’s more to you than people realise and by stepping out of your comfort zone, you’ll find out what you’re capable of. And we’re certain that’ll be more than you thought.
2. Get ahead. The first year at uni will be a breeze after a gap year – all the things your friends will be trying to get their heads around now (cooking, budgeting, time management, living independently…), they’ll be second nature by the end of your year out.
Why taking a gap year is the best decision you’ve ever made
1. Confidence. It’s the one word we hear time and time again from our returning volunteers. Sometimes who you were at school isn’t the whole story. You know there’s more to you than people realise and by stepping out of your comfort zone, you’ll find out what you’re capable of. And we’re certain that’ll be more than you thought.
2. Get ahead. The first year at uni will be a breeze after a gap year – all the things your friends will be trying to get their heads around now (cooking, budgeting, time management, living independently…), they’ll be second nature by the end of your year out.
Benefits: Find out what our volunteers made of their year out.
Destinations: Discover some of the unique communities you could visit.
Find out what our volunteers made of their year out.
Discover some of the unique communities you could visit.
3. Motivation. Once you’ve had time out of education, you’ll likely go back much more enthusiastic and sure about what you want to do next. It’s really hard to see the wood for the trees when you’re focused on studying and exams but, by taking a year out, you’re giving yourself the best chance of figuring out what you want to do with the rest of your life.
4. Career boost. It’s probably not at the forefront of your mind right now, but a year out offers a great opportunity to develop useful skills such as self-motivation, creativity, leadership, teamwork and problem solving. And fortunately, those are the types of skills employers are looking for. Be ready to stand out from the crowd.
5. Now. You’ll be working for a lifetime. This is a one-off opportunity. Stop worrying if you’ve made the right decision and make it the best year you can.
And to top it off, assuming you want to go to uni, you’ll still get to do everything your friends are doing, just a year down the line.
In the meantime, you could find yourself spending Christmas on the beach in Kenya or your birthday in the Himalayas surrounded by people who’ve become lifelong friends.
Surely that’s worth more than a few nights of cheap pints in the student union!!
Cultural Immersion: Why it’s like Airbnb, only better!
Why it’s like Airbnb, only better!