The New Gap Year
A Different Kind of Travel
Increasingly, it seems almost mandatory for young people to experience some kind of 'gap year', in one of the gaps between school, sixth-form college, university or work. And especially in the recent financial climate, many more mature people, in their thirties and forties, are taking time out from work to travel.
But with this development has come a more stringent awareness of what people are really doing during 'travelling' or 'time out'. Parents are growing less and less likely simply to hand over the cash for a year or few months spent on beaches or trying 'interesting' foreign liqueurs, and the more mature travellers are used to staying busy. Some of them are even taking involuntary time off work and are looking for ways to build their experience in order to minimise the gap in their CVs. And young people will be more focused on gaining experience now than ever.
Study Abroad?
One good way to get the most out of your travels is to study while abroad – if you want to learn French France is, after all, the best place for it. But language skills are not the only things you can learn while abroad. It's also useful to take a proactive approach to learning about the history, politics and culture of the country in which you're travelling. For instance, someone hoping to study International Relations at university might visit Brussels or New York to see the EU and UN in action, or someone taking Modern History might visit sites of historical interest such as Berlin or Stalingrad.
Work Abroad?
For a professional, an international outlook can help to make a future job application stand out from the competition; an arts administrator who's helped with a festival in Prague, or a lawyer who's seen courts in action in Spain or Italy as well as at home, sounds open-minded and more experienced than someone who's taken a predictable career path. In fact, travelling can often contribute directly to the success of your career as well as your studies.
Schemes such as the Leonardo da Vinci and European Voluntary Scheme, where EU citizens carry out internships in return for free accommodation, flights and a living allowance, can provide meaningful and stable internships. Particularly if you're taking a break from, or hoping to get into, a profession that generally requires a record of voluntary experience (such as the charity sector, politics or the arts), these internships can be more valuable than work on your home turf – while giving you the chance to travel! The application process can be slow, but it's worthwhile persevering.
And Remember!
Finally – it's worth tailoring what you want to do to the country you want to visit, rather than the other way round. What really matters when you're travelling is that you get to go somewhere you're passionate about. For instance, for French courses France might seem your only option, but if you really want to work in aid, there are many African countries where the main language is French. Don't be left feeling as though you're ticking necessary boxes; the most important part of your travel plans is the joy you'll get while carrying them out.