‘I’m not having a Gap Year because I don’t want to get behind.’

A reflection just last week from a sixth former contemplating her options and future.

I was somewhat taken aback to be honest with you. ‘Get behind’ what?

Once you leave school there is no deadline, no timetable, no-one to keep up with. It is in fact a wonderful time to take a short break from formal education.

A luxury item?

Gap years are not a luxury (in my opinion) but a huge opportunity to get a job, travel, meet new people, deal with problems as they arise, consider your future plans, and, perhaps most importantly, mature and build your confidence, ready for whatever comes next, be that college, university or the workplace.

Every year between 5-6% of school leavers take a break before starting higher education - I am always surprised that it is not more (it was higher, briefly, in the pandemic, but otherwise it has been around that figure since 2012). That 95% of A level/BTEC students choose to go straight into usually 3 years or more of study is, to me, startling.

How much does gap year travel cost?

I am a huge advocate of the gap year, as you can probably tell, but I am quite used to being told that people can’t afford it (financially). I can understand that viewpoint, as studies show that a young adult would need to work 160 days minimum wage to earn enough to travel for 3 months on a gap year (each month of travel is estimated to cost on average £2600pm). So a student might for example need to work for 6 months to travel for 3 (if they are one of the 4 in 5 who do NOT rely on the ‘Bank of Mum and Dad’ to fund their gap year).

It seems a shame that young adults feel a pressure that they can’t ‘afford’ it from a potentially misplaced academic or career point of view, as this young woman obviously believed. This feels so unfortunate, to feel such an unnamed pressure.

Purpose over Paycheck

Interestingly, gap years have recently shifted to have a greater emphasis on purpose, for example through volunteering, rather than partying. This is a brilliant illustration of the Gen Z characterisation that I have read about (and noticed myself) of this being a generation who value ‘Purpose over Paycheck’.

Current gap year students are more likely to choose volunteering, or ethical projects to support the environment, rather than to search out party islands or beach locations (even if they are the Instagram generation too!).

Perhaps we need to encourage them to see the gap year as an opportunity to discover purpose, as this is also a generation that worries about having purpose more generally, and not knowing what their purpose is. They often feel (at 18) they should know what they are going to do with the rest of their lives, which is a lot to expect of themselves! We can try to reassure them that only a very few people know where their lives will take them and for most people life is unpredictable, and all the more interesting and exciting for it.

So maybe a new way to promote the concept of a gap year to a generation feeling the pressure is to frame it like this:

A gap year might be an opportunity to do something ethical, whilst making yourself more employable (and have fun doing it).

Why take a gap year?

When I talk to sixth formers in my school talks, I emphasise the importance of considering a gap year as a significant positive in their life plan, allowing them time and space to think, to develop their identity, to get a job and see the world.

There are so many benefits of working with others, learning to organise your time, be responsible, take care of yourself, solve unexpected problems and learn how to respond to new environments and people.

Anyone who takes a gap year to travel for example, will return with tales of missed connections, lost luggage, weird encounters and even illness overcome. And with it they will share with quiet pride (and often humour) how they managed the situation, sought help, and got through the challenges. It will never all be straightforward, and some travels may even end prematurely because of an insurmountable issue, but that is fortunately rare, and hopefully, even in such difficult circumstances, the young person will be left with a sense of achievement in the face of adversity, rather than regrets.

Building skills for life

Even if the gap year is not to be spent travelling, it is really important to build the same skills and self-confidence, by working, volunteering or keeping active through placements and internships. Such activities are always worthwhile and never wasted time. They are hugely valuable in both personal and professional terms. Again the emphasis may be on being more employable but also on demonstrating an industrious and purposeful approach to life.

In summary

In all of my work, my writing and my talks, one of my strongest themes is to encourage us to build the independence of our young generation, so that they can survive and thrive without us, as they make their way in the world, but mostly because independence is strongly associated with wellbeing and good mental health in young adults.

So it warms my heart to see that the reason most commonly given by students for taking a gap year (41% of those who do) is ‘to develop independence’, with 25% saying 'to have a break from study' and 16% 'to earn money'.

Having a gap year is an amazing opportunity to build life skills, build confidence, and build independence, and so whilst it might not be for everyone, I hope you will consider discussing it positively with your young people, especially if you hear them saying that they ‘don’t want to get behind’ or they feel a stress to rush forward in life.

I have no doubt that, for a pressurised and anxious generation, a gap year really can be a wonderful and hugely beneficial experience.