A gap year post COVID 19 with AV.
If the idea of remote learning for your first year of university doesn’t fill you with excitement, don’t panic! Sit down, make a plan and find a way to use your time well.
The process starts with thinking differently – this is an opportunity to explore other possibilities. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, some have suggested young people should postpone going to university and take a gap year to avoid missing out on the full university experience from the off.
Taking a gap year will give you the chance to gain new skills, explore new places or earn some money. Set yourself some goals for the next 12 months and make sure you stay on track – don’t get sucked into wasting your time at home. Start looking at your options for a gap year and think carefully about which options are right for you.
For more than 40 years, Harvard has encouraged its students to defer their freshman year to take a gap year. While Nottingham University has the following advice for students: “Whatever taking time out means for you, focus on your motives and the potential benefits.”
A gap year is what YOU make it. AV’s gap year programs are all based on experiences that can have an enormous impact on you as a person and on job applications. Every hour of the day you will experience something new and improving your skills, usually without even realising you’re doing it.
“If you’re thinking about taking a gap year, do it!! You won’t regret doing it, it was the best decision I’ve ever made. It gave me a perspective on how other people live because I lived it myself. The culture, food, music, language, and people made a lasting lifelong impact.”
Ella Adams, Kenya
“An amazing experience and a much better education than university!!!”
Harry Maitland, Tanzania
“AV is exactly what I wanted in my year out after school. I loved the independence that we had and making all our own decisions- a great change after 14 years of school! Having the freedom to be able to cook for ourselves, buy our own food, choose what to do at the weekends and in our independent travel made me feel much more immersed in the culture and get as much as I could out of the experience. ”
Susannah Cooke, Nepal
You’ll probably have a lot of questions about what your options are and which gap year is right for you. Even details like how long the program should be and what kind of volunteering you can do, can seem confusing at this stage. AV offers a free gap year advice service with no obligation to book through us. We believe that every young person should have the opportunity to take a gap year that is meaningful and we aim to help as many people as possible to find the gap year program that is perfect for them.
A gap year is a chance to see the world differently and to be seen differently by employers, universities and friends when you return home. You can take responsibility for your future by being proactive and grasping the opportunities in front of you – and ensuring that you stand out from your peers.
By Andrew Mackenzie, managing director AV July 2020
Find more information about AV’s gap year programs on their website: https://www.aventure.co.uk
