The Gap Year

This is a year out between school and university. It can be an exciting opportunity for a 'once in a lifetime' experience and is recommended by many. In recent years, half of all Tonbridgians have not gone direct to college or university on leaving school. Most of these chose to defer entry when making their initial UCAS application in the U6 and a few decided not to apply until after the results. However, about 20% decide to change their plans when the A Level results emerged, either to change course and enter direct, to defer late or to re-apply for another course or university in the following year.

During the course of your U6th, you will also receive e-mail from the careers department with details of some of the gap year opportunities.

Introduction

A well-planned Gap Year is attractive to many Admissions Tutors and to most prospective, future employers. If you decide to take a Gap Year, you will come to your final stage of formal education a little older, more mature and much wiser in the ways of the world, often to the benefit of your university course and future career. A Gap Year can be the opportunity of a lifetime to do something different and you could profit from an unusual, exciting, challenging and often unrepeatable experience. We recommend that once you have decided to take a Gap Year, you start planning between June in your L6 and the following autumn. See this page for suggestions of how to plan and the wealth of opportunities available.

Most university departments approve of students taking a Gap Year provided it is seen to be worthwhile, of relevance in some way to the degree course or will provide the candidate with a challenge. However, some departments view Gap Years with less favour and you should consult the prospectuses or the universities direct for confirmation. As far as your UCAS entry is concerned, you can either apply for 'deferred entry' on the form or request deferral when your plans become firm and this could be as late as when the results come out. A well thought out year, often with one of the several organisations that offer travel, voluntary or community work here or abroad, will usually meet favour with the Admissions Tutors.

We do recommend that you utilise the services of one of the several organisations that specialise in Gap Year opportunities. This will give both focus and the benefits of other's experience to tailor your own year towards your own aspirations. These are often for between 3 - 12 months, allowing time for your own travel and paid work.

Gap Year Advantages

Some of these might include:

• to become more mature, self-sufficient, confident and able to cope with university life. (The 'drop out' rate at university for those who took a Gap Year after independent schooling is about 1% compared to 11% of those who go direct to university.)
• to gain first hand experience of possible careers,
• to travel and to acquire key life skills,
• to explore the world outside school and home, and to meet new and different people,
• to become financially independent at university
• to do some socially useful work, such as voluntary, community or project work at home or abroad,
• to gain recognisable qualifications,
• to become used to organising your own finances and time, to using your initiative,
• to have a clearer idea of why you want to spend three or more years of your life to more academic study,
• because a well planned Gap Year is attractive to some admissions tutors and to very many future and prospective employers.

Gap Year Disadvantages

These might include:

• leave university and start employment a year later,
• a break in academic work and routine might have negative effects on motivation and/or progress,
• planning might be incomplete and a year's purposeless drifting at home is a disaster to be avoided, leaving a wasted year and a sense of frustration and lack of achievement .... not uncommon amongst OTs - be warned!
• some university departments do not look on the idea favourably,
• candidates cannot receive offers in Clearing,
• it can be expensive to set up (air fares, placement fees, etc.), though this can be reduced by working first and obtaining grants if offering voluntary work.