{"id":2709,"date":"2016-01-25T12:00:22","date_gmt":"2016-01-25T12:00:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mytutorweb.co.uk\/blog\/?p=2709"},"modified":"2022-06-30T09:57:21","modified_gmt":"2022-06-30T09:57:21","slug":"dont-fear-the-gap-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mytutor.co.uk\/blog\/students\/dont-fear-the-gap-year\/","title":{"rendered":"Don’t fear the gap year"},"content":{"rendered":"

There\u2019s only one thing scarier than applying to university and that\u2019s not applying to university. With last Friday marking the UCAS application deadline, MyTutor is here to offer advice if you find you\u2019re at a loose end about what to do when school finishes.<\/em><\/h3>\n

It\u2019s natural to feel daunted by the prospect of taking a gap year. For the first time in your life your year won\u2019t be split neatly in three terms, each school day sandwiched between the drone of assembly and the sweet clanging of the four o\u2019clock bell.<\/span><\/p>\n

Instead, you may find that the days stretch out endlessly before you, blurring into one monotonous mass as you stare enviously at your friend\u2019s Facebook photos of fresher\u2019s nights out and new university mates. But this doesn\u2019t have to be the case. If you have the foresight to plan out your gap year then you could find yourself earning money, gaining valuable skills and experience, and travelling the globe. Your gap year may even be the best year of your life.<\/p>\n

Here are our tips on how to get the most out of your gap year:<\/strong><\/p>\n

1. Earn some money<\/strong><\/h2>\n

This is key. If you want to go travelling on your gap year, you\u2019re going to need a sustainable way to fund your trip (and no, the Bank of Mum & Dad is not<\/em> sustainable).\u00a0 Likewise, university can be expensive, so it\u2019s helpful to build up your savings now. The first time you receive a maintenance grant your eyes may ogle at how much money is in your bank account, but once rents have been paid and books bought, you\u2019ll find it doesn\u2019t go as far as expected.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a whole spectrum of ways to earn money, from working as a check-out assistant in your local supermarket to spending six months interning at a large bank. What you end up doing will depend partly on personal preference, partly on how organised you are, and geographical location.<\/p>\n

After fourteen years of school, you may opt to have a relaxed part time job in a caf\u00e9, leaving yourself plenty of time for hobbies and visiting friends. Or, if you live near enough to a large city, you could get a work placement at a large bank or financial services company. Deloitte<\/a> and Accenture<\/a> offer especially lucrative placements, and will often contribute to your university fees as well. An extensive list of paid placements can be found here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

2. Gain work experience\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Although schools often encourage their students to gain work experience and sometimes even designate a portion of the academic year to this task, you will most likely have only experienced a maximum of one or two professional environments. Understanding how an office works, making contacts, and figuring out which industry is right for you are all important lessons you can learn on your gap year. With university students now applying for banking Spring Weeks in their first years and law schools in their second, it\u2019s beneficial to get ahead of the game and work out where your interests lie. Alternatively, you may want to volunteer at a local charity or NGO. As well as giving you the opportunity to help people in your local community, volunteering is also a good way to meet people and make new friends when your school mates leave for university and are dispersed across the country.<\/p>\n

Make sure your CV is up to date and get started by writing a cover letter. A helpful guide on how to prepare these can be found here<\/a> and here<\/a>. Then search online for companies you may be interested in. Often they\u2019ll have a section on their website advertising work experience and internships. Even if they don\u2019t, it could be worth sending in a speculative application. If you have any family friends with interesting jobs then why not ask them politely for some advice on how to get into your chosen field, or even see if you can spend a few days shadowing them.<\/p>\n

Obviously, there are thousands of businesses and organisations out there, so you might find these websites helpful to narrow down your searches and point you in the right direction:<\/p>\n