What is a Gap Year & How do You Take One?

A gap year is a year of experiential learning typically taken after high school or prior to college enrollment or even in the middle of getting your degree. Taking a gap year can take many forms, such as participating in an organised gap-year program, travelling independently, working as an intern or paid employee, or volunteering.

It can seem ‌daunting and worried that it could set you behind compared to your friends and other students. But considering the benefits of taking a gap year when it is necessary can outweigh the downsides.

Types of Gap Year

Students will have a lot in mind when it's taken a gap year. The activities students want to do during the gap year include:

• advanced academic courses (to get ahead of their studies)
• extra academic courses (to catch up with their studies)
• pre-college or university courses (to prepare for entry into undergraduate education)
• non-academic courses (to supplement their knowledge in other areas)
• Volunteer work
• Travelling
• Sports and adventure activities

Here are the four classifications of gap year depending on what you want to do during the gap year.

SI No	Types of Gap Year
1	Working Gap Year
2	Volunteering Gap Year
3	Travelling Gap year
4	Studying Gap Year

Working Gap Year 

Spending a year working during the gap year is typically called a working gap year. It is done to earn some money, gain skills and experience and build up a network of contacts. The working gap year is a great opportunity to travel around the world, save money for travel or other aspects of the year, or simply build up savings before starting university.

Volunteering Gap Year

When the gap year is spent volunteering in registered charities, foreign-aid projects, not-for-profit organisations, governments, NGOs and other organisations, it is called a volunteering gap year. Volunteering can enhance your sense of community, help you build contacts, and may later lead to a permanent or paid job offer. There are many volunteering opportunities available abroad as well.

Travelling Gap Year

Some students choose gap year to travel for the entire gap year either alone or with friends or family. Social networking sites can help the students to find their travel mates. There are also websites that can help you in finding hostels and budget accommodation in different countries, discounted student travel tickets, round-the-world flight tickets, etc. 

Studying Gap Year

Taking a year off before entering college while continuing your education is possible with gap year study. There are several studying options to study abroad or in a different location where you are based. It can be short summer programs, undergraduate or graduate programs or anything you want to study according to your interests.

Why Gap Year?

There are a lot of reasons the students want to take a gap year. A gap year is considered an opportunity for them to gain professional or personal experience, achieve specific goals and/or explore personal interests. Before taking a gap year, it is important to be clear whether it's the right decision to take and what you will gain from it. If you are applying for a university course or for a professional role, you are expected to prove that the gap year taken was not just about having fun but also productive and meaningful. Given below are some ‌reasons to take a gap year:

• Broaden your view of the world
• Gain relevant work experience and key skills
• Earn some money
• Develop useful contacts
• Make international friends
• Improve employability with key skills
• Challenge yourself
• Take a break between school and further studies/work
• Improve and gain new life skills
• Do something worthwhile

Disadvantages of a Gap Year

While there are a lot of advantages to taking a gap year, it is worth considering the risks involved in it as well. The disadvantages are given below:

• You will be a year behind others who graduated with you in schools or in universities.
• Taking a gap year can cost you a lot of money depending on how you spend your gap year. For example, travelling overseas can be costly, and you’ll still have to pay for college when you return.
• During your travels, you may get injured or sick. Make sure your prescription medication is available in the country you plan to visit.
• Make copies of all important documents, such as tickets, passports, ID cards, driver's licence, insurance policies, contact information for next-of-kin, and emergency numbers in case you lose something.
• A gap year can be too interesting or distracting and you may end up not wanting to go back into formal education.
• When gap-year students cannot incorporate enough constructive activities into their year off, some institutions don't look favourably on them, particularly for mathematics or physics students, or any course that involves complex theoretical processes and techniques.
• Long-term travel can be difficult and uncomfortable, and adjusting to a new environment can be both physiologically and emotionally challenging.
• The gap-year provider can be unethical, dishonest, or did not deliver what they promised.

How to Take a Gap Year?

Before applying for a gap year, ‌follow some steps that will make it easier for you to decide. Here are several steps to follow to take a gap year.

Step 1	Research
Step 2	Plan how you'll spend your gap year
Step 3	Make a deferral request
Step 4	Enrol on a gap year program
Step 5	Earn college credits during your gap year

Step 1 - Research

Most colleges support deferrals for the students taking a gap year since the statistics say that they come back after their gap year more mature and driven. So it is preferred ‌ thorough research on the gap year policy of the colleges before applying for a gap year.

• The record of the deferral policies kept by the Gap Year Association can make things ‌ easy for the students
• Those who are on a grant or scholarship can check with the institution or third party if it will carry over to the next year

Step 2 - Plan how you'll spend your gap year

Once you are done with your research and know your college supports gap year deferrals, you can get planning. The options for a gap year are endless, the students may seem spoiled for choice. So carefully choose how to spend your gap year whether to spend part of your year gaining work experience, teaching abroad, volunteering, doing an internship, or travelling on a gap year program. The planning should also include the facts like the duration of a gap year, budget, location, etc. Discuss all the possibilities with your family or a gap year advisor to get more clarity.

Step 3 - Make a deferral request

The student can contact the college and ask them for a deferral if they want to go for a gap year. A deferral is an agreement that the colleges hold so that the students can come back after the agreed-upon timeline. It should mention who you have to get in touch with and confirm everything in writing through a deferral form. 

Step 4 - Enrol on a gap year program

Gap-year programs allow the students to travel abroad and spend at least part of their gap year travelling abroad to experience new cultures, volunteer for animal rescue and community projects, learn a new language or for an epic adventure trip. So applying for a gap year program is the next step in taking a gap year. 

Step 5 - Earn college credits during your gap year

When taking a gap year, it doesn’t always mean you have to put your college efforts completely on hold. You can travel on a gap year and earn college credit to go towards further study at the same time through gap year programs that offer students an excellent option to continue their studies on their travels.