More and more young people are opting for a gap year after they have passed their final exams or have already studied for a while. It would be a great shame if your gap year got boring. In this article you will find a number of tips to make your year a good one.
To work
Student life is anything but cheap, which is why a gap year is ideal for making money. The money you earn can of course also be spent on other things, such as clothing and outings. Most young people have experience with part-time jobs at the weekend. During a so-called gap year you have all the time in the world, so you can also work during the week. This is a good way to gain work experience. What kind of work you want to do depends entirely on you.
To travel
Many young people who take a gap year travel. It is important that you have saved a lot of money in advance. Travel is often very expensive. If you want to travel with a friend, keep in mind that such a long journey can cause a lot of tension. So your friendship must be able to take a beating!
Popular destinations are Australia, New Zealand, South America and Southeast Asia. Of course you can also stay closer to home. There are also many young people who go backpacking in Europe.
Traveling and working
Do you not have enough money to travel or do you think that traveling alone will soon bore you? Then you have the opportunity to travel and work. In China and India, for example, young people are sought who want to teach English. Working as an au pair is also popular. Of course there are plenty of other jobs to be found abroad, but it is important that you have a work permit.
Volunteer work
In addition to paid work, voluntary work is also popular among young people. There are many organizations involved in volunteering abroad. You can dedicate yourself to nature, for the disabled, for children, et cetera. Volunteer work is actually necessary all over the world. Interesting destinations are, for example, South Africa, Mexico and Romania. Sometimes the trip and the place to sleep are reimbursed. It is also possible to do voluntary work in the Netherlands. This is already possible at the nursing home in your area!
Courses
During a gap year you have time that you normally wouldn’t have just like that. A nice way to fill in a gap year can be taking courses. Courses are opportunities for self-development. Do you want to learn better French or learn to photograph better? Then a gap year is the right time. Courses are not only educational and fun, but often also look good on your CV!