Gap year

A gap year (also known as "year out", "deferring", "overseas experience") is a term that refers to a prolonged period (often, but not always, a year) between a student's completion of secondary school and matriculation in a university or college or also between college and graduate school or a profession. It is generally a practice undertaken by young people from many developed countries, though the practice is relatively rare in the United States, with a great proportion of gap year students from one country effectively swapping with gap year students from another.

History

Gap years, which became prevalent in the 1990s, could be considered a modern equivalent of the Grand Tour. At least in the United Kingdom, part of the impetus came from the fact that until recently Oxford and Cambridge required candidates to take their own entrance exams in the Autumn, after "A" levels. When the exams were over, the student had about nine months before starting University, and it was encouraged to take the time to explore the world or volunteer before doing so.

A recent trend is the career gap for those over twenty-five. This career sabbatical is usually undertaken by those who want a career change, nearing retirement, or have seen the benefits gained from their children's gap year.

Activities

[1]"Volunteering with Orangutans as part of a gap year"

Some students spend the time traveling others spend the time working, and many combine these into an international working holiday. A popular option for gap year students, also known as "gappers", is international volunteering, such as working with animals like orangutans. In the wake of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, a great number of the volunteers who helped in South Asia were on a gap year. Also, many gap year students earn money while overseas by working cash in hand, often in the hospitality industry. Another growing trend for gappers is to enroll in global education programs that combine language study, home stays, cultural immersion, community service, and independent study. Such experiential opportunities exist in countries ranging from India to China and Morocco to Brazil.

Gap year in America

In the United States, the practice of taking a "gap year" before entering college remains relatively rare. Students either enter college (half enter the post-secondary system through community colleges) or the labor force directly after high school. After college, most university undergraduates directly enter the labor force. This trend can be partially traced to American culture, which stresses economic independence, as well as the considerably higher cost of post-secondary education in the U.S. Many American students may not be able to afford a year off. In 2004, over 65% of 4-year college students relied on loans to finance their education, with the average debt of roughly $20,000. Among graduate students average debt totaled roughly $42,000 in 2004. Some organizations have offered young Americans structured gap year programs. These include Dynamy, with sites in Worcester, Massachusetts and Santa Rosa, California. [2] Another American gap year option is City Year, with locations in urban centers around the U.S..

Gap year in Australia

Australia currently has 19 reciprocal working holiday programs with countries which include: Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, UK, Belgium, Estonia and Taiwan Typically restrictions for the working holiday visas include being 18-30 yrs, can prove access to funds and hold a valid passport. Work restrictions also apply to ensure that the purpose of the holiday is not to further an individual's career.

The U.K. and Canada remain two of the most popular destinations for Australians to visit every year, with 35,061 UK and 6,517 Canadian working holiday visas issued in 2003/4.

Youthworks run a gap year option in Sydney for Christian school leavers called Year 13 Gospel Gap Year [3]. It has a continuous option for students living in Sydney, and an intensive option for regional NSW, Australia-wide and international students.

Gap year in the United Kingdom

British citizens are able to take advantage of the European Union as well as the reciprocal arrangements that exist and live and work in an overseas country for an extended period of time. Australia, New Zealand and Canada remain popular destinations due to the Anglo cultural similarities and Commonwealth ties due to the British Empire.

Prince Harry popularised Africa as a Gap Year destination when he volunteered in South Africa in 2004. Other opportunities available include working in skis resorts in Canada, Camp roles in America and working in the Australian Outback.

There are many gap year providers in the U.K. that provide opportunities for people of all ages. Many providers are listed on directory sites such as The Year Out Group [4].

Gap year in the Netherlands

The most common form of gap year is work-holiday travel to another country, preferentially on another continent if the person taking it can afford the tickets. Australia and other English-speaking countries are among the most popular due to the high standard of Dutch high school courses in English, but culture/language immersion programmes in Spanish-speaking countries are increasingly popular, and are sometimes offered on all-in basis. Most will leave the Netherlands for only half the year, spending the other six months working to finance the trip. Academia Vitae offers a preacademic gap year in Deventer for young students to study liberal arts. This is not a common form of the gap year in the Netherlands.

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See also

• Sabbatical year
• Career break

External links

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