Have to go abroad in gap year?

I am thinking of taking a gap year before uni to collect some money up etc.

Anyway this may sound silly, but do you have to got to abroad? Or can you just get a full time job?

Many thanks to all replies in advance :biggrin:

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Reply 1

Jenny-is-a-sock

Anyone? Or does this take a while for people to see it.

I am new you see :smile:

Reply 2

mdhey89

Personally, I think it's obligatory, but it's up to you at the end of the day. If you want to waste the year in England, that's up to you...

Reply 3

Azazeal

You don't have to go abroad at all - the gap year is called a gap because it's a break between college/Uni or whatever/whenever you take it in life. Do what you like with it, sign on the dole all year if you want a be a bum. However you will find that most people ask you where you're going - so expect that; they'll expect you to travel. I'm taking a gap year when i finish sixth form and befoe i go to Uni - i plan to work here full time for most of it to earn money and then go to Australia for a few months at the end of it before i come back to go to uni. Don't let anything stop you doing what you want to do :smile:

Reply 4

aaloo

Do what you like, just make sure you don't regret what you do.

I accepted a Yini job for twelve months of my gap year. I ended up backing out of the contract before the job started because I knew I'd regret not traveling.

Reply 5

Indievertigo

Just make sure you don't spend a year bumming around. You have to volunteerfor at least part of it, if you spend a year travelling, with so many people "travelling" these days, anyone interviewing you is not going to be very impressed.

Reply 6

willenium

but everyone volunteers and it's all so tedious and dull hearing all these gap year tossers (myself included) talking about finding themselves whilst help orphans blah blah

Reply 7

AmeliaGYC

I am just about to start University and have been on a GAP year since June '07.
I didn't go away because of personal issues although I had planned to go to Vietnam, Cambodia and China.
I have spent the entire year working, and I am very happy with my decision because I feel financially secure and have not had to get a loan out or even an overdraft.
I am not in a huge hurry to go travelling, as I can do that next summer or even when I finish my degree.
Just make sure that you make the right decision for yourself, and if you don't decide to go travelling- don't worry as the world isn't going anywhere!

Reply 8

worldwide

Put it this way, you have a year. To do anything you want. Literally. It's a fabulous opportunity to go abroad, of course, but not everyone does - there are also the options of work, work experience, internships and volunteering in the UK.

Reply 9

Indievertigo

willenium

but everyone volunteers and it's all so tedious and dull hearing all these gap year tossers (myself included) talking about finding themselves whilst help orphans blah blah

I am sure most people who go and tell interviewers that they found themselves whilst volunteering, also do not get looked on very favourably. It's very obvious when someone means what they are saying, and when someone says something to impress.

Reply 10

kirsty142

Jenny-is-a-sock

I am thinking of taking a gap year before uni to collect some money up etc.

Anyway this may sound silly, but do you have to got to abroad? Or can you just get a full time job?

I can't afford to travel and go to uni so my year will consist of working 2 jobs if I can find another one :eviltongue:

Don't want to. :frown:

Reply 11

Square

mdhey89

Personally, I think it's obligatory, but it's up to you at the end of the day. If you want to waste the year in England, that's up to you...

Not everyone can get mummy and daddy to pick up the bill for a round the world trip for a year.

Reply 12

mdhey89

Square

Not everyone can get mummy and daddy to pick up the bill for a round the world trip for a year.

Excuse me, but I didn't take a gap year, and have paid for my 6 weeks in Canada this summer myself thank you very much. Just because you wasted your year in Scotland...

Reply 13

mdhey89

Square

Not everyone can get mummy and daddy to pick up the bill for a round the world trip for a year.

Lol thanks for the rep :yep:

. I couldn't imagine a worse year spent tbh.

Reply 14

Ewan

Up to you, personally I see spending your entire time in England for a year a waste of time. Work for half, travel for half - my trip cost under £4000, theres no reason you can't save that in 6 months.

Reply 15

mattye

Its totally up to you. For some people the volunteering and going abroad is the best thing for them, usually because they're quite travel minded. A couple of friends went for the option of working full time to get some cash saved up before university, which in retrospect is a pretty good idea too, because the purse strings do get pulled tight during university life, if you're not working at the same time!

Overall, what do you want to get out of your year? Money? Travelling? A feeling of self moral worth? A rest?

Its best to answer these questions before deciding what to do.

Reply 16

willenium

Square

Not everyone can get mummy and daddy to pick up the bill for a round the world trip for a year.

not everyone has such a chip on their shoulder, either

Reply 17

Jenny-is-a-sock

I want to save up money to go to Uni you see, so I dont have money to spare on going traveling.

Reply 18

Jenny-is-a-sock

Anyone else?

Thanks x

Reply 19

im so academic

no you don't have to go abroad, you can just stay in england and apply for temporary jobs/work experience/volunteer work that is related to what you want to study at uni.

but overall do what you want to do, but it will look much more appealing if you do something related to what you want to do when you're older/degree.