Taking a gap year after school?

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Shimma
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Taking a gap year after school?

Post by Shimma »

I’m probably going to be taking a gap year after school next year to go travelling, just not sure on what to do but keen to keep on meeting people really! Plus I have a heap of mates doing the same thing so we’ll no doubt meet up somewhere while doing it. Does anybody have anything to chuck in on what the good places are? Think I’m fairly sure of where to go but always great to have another side. Going to try go somewhere laid back and fresh (preferably with some good country roads for cycling). Let me know!
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fraxinus
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Re: Taking a gap year after school?

Post by fraxinus »

Lucky so and so. I am so jealous :mrgreen: Sounds fantastic make the best of it. Wished I had done some thing like this as a young man instead of spending all my time hanging around in pubs.
Last edited by fraxinus on 24 Mar 2010, 6:57am, edited 3 times in total.
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thirdcrank
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Re: Taking a gap year after school?

Post by thirdcrank »

In 1963, when the term gap year had not been invented, I spent the academic year "working" as an English language assistant at a school in what was then a small town near Avignon in the South of France. In addition to all the academic stuff, I joined the local cycling club Vélo Club Bagnols-Marcoule (exclusively a racing club) and by the time I came home in 1964 I had made a lot of friends, my French was a whole lot better and I'd come to realise I wasn't going to be the next Tom Simpson (he won the Words the following year.) You've got me dreaming about my misspent youth... 8)

(At least, this will bring your post back to the top where somebody with some bright ideas may see it.)
byegad
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Re: Taking a gap year after school?

Post by byegad »

Get on your bike and see where it takes you.
"I thought of that while riding my bike." -Albert Einstein, on the Theory of Relativity

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Mick F
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Re: Taking a gap year after school?

Post by Mick F »

I'm well past Gap Years, but I reckon it's a great idea for folk of all ages.

I became tired of being in the Royal Navy, I was in my early 40s, had done 26 years, so decided to hand in my notice, and leave. Less than a year later, I was out, never to go back.

A year or two later, if they'd have asked me back, I'd have jumped at it. I felt free and invigorated, and could have been a far better serviceman than I was toward the end of my career. Take this argument further, and if I could have taken a Gap Year whilst in my 30s, (as part of Terms of Service) and then returned, they may have got more total years out of me, and I'd have been a far better CPO for it.

Gap Years?
Great stuff.
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mw3230
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Re: Taking a gap year after school?

Post by mw3230 »

byegad wrote:Get on your bike and see where it takes you.


:wink: :wink:

Never mind the travel, get a job for a year and save up for university. Help your parents with the cost. You'll have three years drinking time whilst at uni!

(speaking as someone whose paid for three drinking degrees)
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Colin63
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Re: Taking a gap year after school?

Post by Colin63 »

I took a gap four years... at the age of 41! That's when I went back to college to study ecology. I'm now broke and working hard to rebuild a new career for the second part of my working life. Taking a sideways step to see the world in a different light is good for anyone and the insecurity isn't as frightening as people might think. It can be invigorating and life affirming. I think that life should be full of gap years and adventure. The way we treat work in this society completely fails to take into account that you only live once.

But back to you Shimma. You say that you have a fair idea of where you will probably go. Share that with us and I'm sure that there are people on this forum who can pour out their reminiscences and give you ideas which will fit in with your basic plans and thoughts.
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philg
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Re: Taking a gap year after school?

Post by philg »

My elder son is currently doing just this. The original plan was to go to New Zealand for a couple of months, but this has now evolved into a pan-European tour using rail cards.

He is currently working at about 5 jobs to raise the money!

Good Luck!
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Si
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Re: Taking a gap year after school?

Post by Si »

My gap year was spent driving a delivery van around Coventry in order to finance my final year. But it all paid off eventually, a couple of decades later and i'm currently in my 8th 'gap' year from employment :D

TBH, I wish that I'd gone of travelling during my original stint at uni - I think that it would have done me a lot of good in terms of increasing maturity, broadening horizons, becoming more self sufficient and seeing things from other's perspectives. So good luck to you - hope that you enjoy it!

I've noticed a few books and websites that list working/volunteer holidays abroad....perhaps cycling between a few of these would be an interesting experience - you'd get the fun of travel and cycling, together with some good stuff to put on the CV.
Shimma
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Re: Taking a gap year after school?

Post by Shimma »

Thanks heaps for the replies, yes I feel pretty happy to have the opportunity!

philg wrote:My elder son is currently doing just this. The original plan was to go to New Zealand for a couple of months, but this has now evolved into a pan-European tour using rail cards.

He is currently working at about 5 jobs to raise the money!

Good Luck!


Might look into Aus/NZ, plan is also around Europe at the moment, can't wait to be working to raise the money too :cry: Gonna be some big hours put in.

Colin63 wrote:I took a gap four years... at the age of 41! That's when I went back to college to study ecology. I'm now broke and working hard to rebuild a new career for the second part of my working life. Taking a sideways step to see the world in a different light is good for anyone and the insecurity isn't as frightening as people might think. It can be invigorating and life affirming. I think that life should be full of gap years and adventure. The way we treat work in this society completely fails to take into account that you only live once.

But back to you Shimma. You say that you have a fair idea of where you will probably go. Share that with us and I'm sure that there are people on this forum who can pour out their reminiscences and give you ideas which will fit in with your basic plans and thoughts.


That's a really cool story, definitely hope to do something like this again later in life if it turns out positive the first time!


So yep, at the moment thinking that Europe is the most feasible, though some cool suggestions in this thread thanks a lot for your replies
Shimma
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Re: Taking a gap year after school?

Post by Shimma »

Alright, so here are my options so far, lets see what you guys think

Tell me which road you'd prefer to be riding on

Option A: North America - Not so sure on roads that go straight for miles :P

Image

Option B: France - Not much of a challenge though really is it though now I think about it, pop on a train and be done with it kinda holiday

Image

Option C: South Africa - Doesn't seem too bad, still possibly a bit dangerous

Image
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meic
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Re: Taking a gap year after school?

Post by meic »

France

It is nice, clean fresh and green.
You dont have the hassle of flying there.
Free health insurance.
You can settle there without a visa if you fall in love.

However it all depends on what inspires you.
Also the countries never turn out to be what you expect.

I always dreamed of Kilimanjaro, the words of the song by Toto in my head.
East Africa was a big disappointment.

I had never liked the idea of India at all but as i had a stop over there I had a look, it changed my attitude completely.
South East Asia was the same.

The USA and SA dont appeal at all but I probably have a very false view of them, never having been there.
Oh Yes, I hated the French until I actually went there and met them. :D
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mw3230
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Re: Taking a gap year after school?

Post by mw3230 »

mw3230 wrote:
byegad wrote:Get on your bike and see where it takes you.


:wink: :wink:

Never mind the travel, get a job for a year and save up for university. Help your parents with the cost. You'll have three years drinking time whilst at uni!

(speaking as someone whose paid for three drinking degrees)


By the way, just so that I don't seem like a complete curmudgeon, my younger son is currently on his year out (in Columbia at the moment, then Africa, India, Bali, Japan etc). He graduated several years ago and has saved for the trip he now enjoys (racing in the colours of Dulwich Paragon for the past couple of years as an alternative to more expensive socialising!) Hoping to teach some English whilst to keep the funds topped up.

Once again I must sing the praises of Skype - what a fantastic way to keep in touch at little or no cost. I recommend it to travellers
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Millhouse
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Re: Taking a gap year after school?

Post by Millhouse »

The countries you have mentioned so far can be quite expensive to live in.
What about South America, the Far East Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and China. Much less expensive, once you are there, and full of challenges and experiences.
Any travelling on a bicycle is a great experience wherever you go, enjoy yourself whilst you can before mortgages, dependents, work dictate what you have to do!!
stoobs
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Re: Taking a gap year after school?

Post by stoobs »

Shimma wrote:I’m probably going to be taking a gap year after school next year to go travelling, just not sure on what to do but keen to keep on meeting people really! Plus I have a heap of mates doing the same thing so we’ll no doubt meet up somewhere while doing it. Does anybody have anything to chuck in on what the good places are? Think I’m fairly sure of where to go but always great to have another side. Going to try go somewhere laid back and fresh (preferably with some good country roads for cycling). Let me know!


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