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Taking a Gap Year

…may be you’ve just finished school or university, perhaps you’re in between jobs, or may be you’re just not sure what to do next… the time might be right for you to consider taking a gap year.

Taking a gap year can mean travelling, working abroad, volunteering or a mixture of all three. There are loads of schemes out there and if you’re willing to do things the independent way, there are limitless possibilities. If you are serious about a gap year, then it’s time to put your thinking cap on, work out the finances and go and do some research and some planning…

The good news is that taking a gap year can not only mean great fun – providing memories and friendships that can last a life time, it can also be great for your CV and help you learn new skills and gain really useful experiences that can contribute to getting a future job and building your career.

For all the positive opportunities that a gap year offers, it’s really important to properly research your options and plan whatever it is you want to do. Depending on your plans, you may need visas and inoculations, sufficient travel insurance and you’ll need enough money or pre-arranged work. Running out of money in the middle of a nowhere is not an option!

Click here for the Frank and Honest Gap Year Top Tips.

The UK Government together with lots of organisations and companies in the travel industry have a really useful campaign called ‘Know Before You Go’. You can read about the campaign at
http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travelling-and-living-overseas/about-kbyg-campaign/

Links and contact details

Name: British Council – Erasmus pages
Web:www.britishcouncil.org/erasmus
E-mail: erasmus@britishcouncil.org
Tel: 029 2039 7405
Info: The British Council’s Erasmus team is based in the British Council’s, Wales office in Cardiff. Call them for more info on the Erasmus programme.

Name: National Union of Students.
Web:www.nus.org.uk
Email:
Tel:
Info: The NUS’ website offers lots of info and articles about travelling and taking gap years.

Name: BBC’s The Surgery – Gap Year microsite
Web: BBC’s The Surgery – Gap Year microsite
Email:
Tel:
Info:

Name: Know Before You Go
Web: Know Before You Go
Email:
Tel:
Info: Set up by the UK Government with partner organisations.

Name: gogapyear.com
Web:www.gogapyear.com
Email:
Tel:
Info: Essential advice for gap year travvelers. Set up by the UK government with partners.

Name: gapyear.com
Web:
www.gapyear.com
Email:
Tel:
Info:The UK’s largest travel community, with 100,000 pages of advice and information on every aspect of gap years, career breaks and budget travel.

Name: Know Before You Go
Web:www.fco.gov.uk/en/travelling-and-living-overseas/about-kbyg-campaign/
Email:
Tel:
Info: Set up by the UK Government with partner organisations.

Name: Foreign & Commonwealth Office
Web: www.fco.gov.uk
Email:
Tel:
Info:The FCO UK Government department. Loads of info on travelling around the world.

Name: Travel Advice by Country – Foreign & Commonwealth Office
Web:www.fco.gov.uk/en/travelling-and-living-overseas/travel-advice-by-country/
Email:
Tel:
Info: The FCO’s travel advice for every country.

Name: Studying Abroad – article in The Times
Web: www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/education/student/how_to_get_a_job/article3363791.ece
Email:
Tel:
Info:

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