Choosing Your Perfect Gap Year

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Save money for a year in a soul destroying minimum wage job? Sleep on night trains and in questionable hostels for a month before realising you’ve got little to show for your time? The decision of what to do with your gap year (if you so choose to take one) is an age-old one, and there is no one size fits all answer. Before you start planning your year out, here are a few options that you might not have considered that’ll make you stand out from the other post-gap year university applicants.

Work Abroad

Increasingly students are worried about whether or not the time they spend whilst not at university or college is being spent in a productive manner. Having a year out from your studies might seem appealing after the hard slog of A-levels, but it certainly isn’t going to look good on your personal statement. Working abroad might seem a little bit of a fanciful idea at first, a little too perfect. However, there are a huge number of options available if you know where to look. You could become an au pair in Paris, work on a summer camp in the USA, or even learn to become a ski instructor in the Alps.

Volunteer

Volunteering abroad is always a popular option for the gap year taker, however this can also cost a huge amount of money. Instead, why not volunteer within your local community? It’ll be a rewarding experience, you’ll still have time to get a job as well, and it’ll look great on your UCAS application.

Intern

If you know where you want to end up career wise then internships (particularly paid ones) are a great way of getting some experience in that field of work. If you don’t, they can help you decide what you like and what you don’t. They last from anywhere from a few weeks to an entire year, so there’ll undoubtedly be something to suit you and your timeframe. You might even decide to carry on working rather than continuing with education after it’s finished!

Taking a year out can not only improve your chances of getting in to the university of your dreams, but it can also provide you with some unforgettable experiences. Skivo2 are big believers in the benefits of a gap year, which is why they offer BASI gap year ski instructor courses at their stunning French resort of Le Praz. The course enables those who take it to eventually become ski instructors themselves, ensuring they are fully qualified to teach skiing almost anywhere they please. Travel, qualifications, and employability? There are worse things you could do with your year out. Follow the progress of this year's candidates on the the-73.com ski blog.