The Aspire Guide - Flipbook - Page 27
Taking a Year Out
A gap year isn’t just an opportunity to ‘find yourself’, it can also be a great time to think about what
it is you really want to do with your future, develop your skills, and earn some cash! Many people are
choosing to use their gap year to gain valuable work experience in industries which interest them before
deciding whether they want to head to university, do an apprenticeship, or get started on the career that
most appeals to them.
Gap years can also be great if you do better than expected in your A-Levels, because it gives you a
chance to reapply to universities with more demanding requirements, which can pay off in the long-term
as it gives you a better chance at a higher graduate salary - turn to page 13 to find out more!
If you do decide to take a gap year, make sure that you make the most of opportunities available to you.
Below Victoria and Annalisa talk about their experience of taking a year out and what they learnt from
it. To find out more about how you can plan a gap year visit www.ucas.com/alternatives/gap-year.
Victoria Ayodeji decided to take a gap year before attending the University
of Cambridge to study Geography. Read on to see why she decided to take
a gap year and what she felt that she gained from the experience.
A
t the age of 18 I had to make many important
decisions, all in the space of the first few
months of Year 13. Was I going to go to university?
If so, what five universities would I apply to? Was I
going to leave the comfort of my own home in East
London, or move miles away? And of course, what
university course would I pick?
Many students think of taking a break or a ‘gap
year’. Some decide to go on a long holiday with
friends or family and some even take part in a
‘voluntourism’ trip abroad, but I knew that neither
of these options were long enough to fulfil my urge
to travel and expand my horizons. For me, a year
full of both personal and professional development
seemed like the perfect thing to do straight after
Year 13.
So, in November 2016, alongside applying to
university and preparing for my A-Levels, I began
planning a gap year that I knew would be life
changing. I was fortunate to have the support of
my form tutor and the Head of Sixth Form at my
state school in East London, as well as the advice
of my mentors on the two mentoring programmes I
was involved with, but the adults in my family were
not convinced and tried to deter me from taking a
year out.
I often heard, “It will be a waste of time,” “Gap
years are too expensive,” and “Can you not just
go straight to university?”. The backlash made me
think that if I did not plan each month of my gap
year with worthwhile activities, I would be, in the
words of J Hus, “posted on the block like a low
life.” I was determined my gap year was going to
be the best and most productive 12 months before
starting university.
When A-Level results day arrived in August 2017,
I called up my first choice university and asked
to defer my place and start in October 2018.
Thankfully they said yes, and with that all sorted,
I began my gap year in September 2017 with the
goal of gaining independence and surpassing my
predetermined capabilities.
After researching different companies, I was certain
that I wanted to apply for an internship to kick off
my gap year. I got a place on a gap year programme
in the consulting sector through a charity and with
the support of my mentor. It was a full-time, paid
8-month internship based in London, but due to
the nature of the industry, I was placed on a project
in Newcastle in my first few months at the firm.
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