Education

Is it better to save a gap year until you graduate?


Taking a gap year after your A-levels has gone out of fashion. It could be down to bad PR, now that voluntourism schemes are widely considered self-serving. And then of course there’s the cost, which many students are avoiding in favour of microgapping for a month or two. “A lot of my friends take the mick out of me saying, ‘Oh, you went to Cambodia on a gap year,’” says Beth Adams, 21, who studied politics and international relations at the University of Manchester, and took a year out after graduating. “You do feel like you’re fulfilling a stereotype a bit.”

According to Ucas, the number of people deferring their uni places has gone down from 8% in 2002 to around 5% last year. Instead, many graduates are taking a year out after their degrees. According to a survey carried out by YouGov and London Stansted airport, more young people are taking a gap year after university, and almost half of UK adults believe job prospects are enhanced by combining travel and learning. Indeed, organisations such as Year Here are even aimed at older professionals wanting to volunteer in the UK. So is it better to save your gap year until after graduating?

“Definitely,” says Mathilda Frampton, 22, who graduated last year and has done a series of internships in film and theatre alongside a paid childcare job. “When you’ve been in education for all those years, where your life is September to July, a break is a good idea. I’ve had time to figure things out and a year of being able to work on different projects. As a result, I’ve just got a job in the film industry.”

Although some take a gap year after university because they have a job lined up and managed to delay their start date, most are yet to secure work and are biding their time. It’s a common misconception that those who don’t secure work straight out of university immediately go abroad to volunteer or travel. “In reality, students don’t have the funds to do this,” says Becky Kells, editor of AllAboutSchoolLeavers. “Many gap years are now UK-based, consisting of back-to-back internships and part-time work.”

For those who do go abroad, a gap-year stint volunteering is no longer merely a way for middle-class kids to boost their CVs. Graduates say they are making more considered choices. “As part of my degree I had done lots of studying about postcolonialism and the white saviour complex, and I was very conscious I didn’t want to do that,” says Adams, who volunteered with the International Citizen Service on a programme part-funded by the government, in a team consisting of both local and British people. “When I was 16, I went on a school trip to Swaziland and everyone took lots of photos with kids in that village. Looking back, that seems quite problematic. This time, I know I’ve done something that will be worthwhile and wasn’t damaging.”

Adams adds that the practical experience of working abroad helped her apply for a master’s, which was something she didn’t have time to do during her finals.

Graduates are also using gap years to explore different career routes. According to recruitment firm Tempo, more than half (53%) of students feel there is too much emphasis placed on graduate schemes when starting out in their career. Elena Ricci, 23, who graduated from the University of Southampton last year, agrees. “After I finished my degree I didn’t really know what to do so I went Interrailing for a month, and then to Cambodia on a placement. If I’d gone straight into a grad job, I don’t think I would’ve been happy,” she says.

Although graduates can bring great skills to volunteering and enhance their employability, there are some risks attached. “You are delaying your career or further study for a year and some employers may not get why you’ve done it,” says Manuel Souto-Otero, a senior lecturer in social sciences at Cardiff University who specialises in the link between education and work. His advice is not to stand still. “It makes sense to work out what to do, and one of the best ways to find out what to do is to try it out.”

After her year abroad, Ricci has now decided to start a master’s in September. She says graduates should ignore stereotypes and do what works for them. “Do what you want, regardless of what others might say.”



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