gap-year-or-university

Gap Year vs University. What should you do?

When you finally come out the other side of high school the road ahead can be exciting, scary or downright confusing. Where do you go? What do you do with yourself?

A lot of people want to get straight into Uni, they have a plan, they’ve done the research and they are excited. What about you? You might not be sure yet, you only just got out of school, do you really want to jump back in already? Weighing up between starting your University career and heading overseas on a gap year can be pretty daunting but it is definitely a position a lot of us find ourselves in after school.

What is a gap year anyway?

We all grow up hearing about the age-old tradition of the great gap year that school leavers take after finishing high school. Most people use this gap year as a way to bust out of their hometowns and see what they can make of themselves overseas. It’s a great way to get some interesting work experience, meet new people and see the world. A gap year is the best of both worlds, allowing you to work (yay money) and do some serious travel at the same time.

What can a gap year do for you?

All sorts of high school leavers take gap years, those who are heading into a Uni or Tech course and those who want to head straight into work when they return home. It can feel like you need to make a choice between a gap year and first year but there is no reason why taking a gap year needs to mean you won’t head to Uni afterwards. A gap year spent living and working overseas can have a lot of benefits no matter who you
are:

  • Discovery and exploration: does it get any better than spending a year discovering beautiful sights, exploring epic international cities and travelling to far-flung corners around the world?!
  • Education outside of the classroom: you’ve just finished school but there’s still so much to learn about the world around you! Leaving the nest for a year will definitely teach you a lot about other people, cultures and places.
  • Work experience: simply put, working overseas is going to look great on your CV because employers will know that you have the skills to find work and look after yourself overseas. These are great skills that you’ll build on even after you get home.
  • Life-long friends: living and working overseas will give you the opportunity to befriend all sorts of people who you may never have met had you stayed home. Think of all the couches you can crash on the next time you’re overseas and all the friends you’ll be able to host when they visit you!
  • Self-discovery: it may sound cheesy but you will grow up a lot while overseas, if you can make it out there you can do anything!
  • Bucket list items: it doesn’t all have to be about work while you’re overseas and you will have plenty of opportunities to start ticking things off your bucket list.

How do you plan a gap year?

The best way is to start early! Nothing beats preparation. If you’re wanting to head overseas on a working holiday for your gap year, finding out what you need in terms of visas, flights and insurance should be your first stop. This is where IEP can help, we have a range of programs which might suit you and we can step you through the process of getting overseas. Check out our working holiday programs which can take you to the US, Canada or the UK. ou can also grab your mates or family and come to a free gap year information evening where you will learn all about our program and have your questions answered!