Stereotypical 'Gap Year' is a Waste of Time. Discuss.

Saying my Russian is rusty would be putting it very mildly. But how hard could it be?

Hahahahha sheeps gon sheep. Made my night with that quote. My fave region would be central asia - tajikistan etc. Its so overlooked but the landscape is immense, the prices are low, and its easy (somewhat) to get around. You might need basic Russian or be very good at explaining things with ur hands. Perhaps narrow it down to a continent and Ill advise as such.



Putain fais chier...you are not paying attention. How many countries have I directly referred to herein? TWO: Oz and Thailand....

Actually you said SE Asia and baring in mind Australia is a continent and all my point stands.

and sheldon from the big bang theory ha

Yeh i love him on tv too, but i wouldnt want to hang out with him though...

Australia is absolutely not a continent, rethink this point.

I probably did say SE Asia - I stand by that comment. But SE Asia is definitely not a continent.

Someone's set out to prove how superior their gap year is to mere mortals' it seems

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Not to mention a bit of boasting about the 99 countries he's visited - he knew the question would come up.

I'm calling bull**** on 99 countries. "I've been lucky enough to have a few study abroad opportunities"
That isn't a few. 99 is a lot of countries. Flying over them doesn't count.

I'm calling bull**** on 99 countries. "I've been lucky enough to have a few study abroad opportunities"
That isn't a few. 99 is a lot of countries. Flying over them doesn't count.

Do flight transfers count?

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Alas, thats not replicable in the UK; but the sheer number of people who do that is hilarity at its finest.



Explore, but explore something worth exploring I implore you.



Didn't say all gap years are such. Read again.

Good post, balanced.



Your paragraph about when people talk about generic experiences is exactly what I have been describing hitherto.


I am yet to hear a truly unique anecdote from Australia.

I'm gonna say no, because you don't really get to see the country. Oh, and States don't count. I've been to NY, Florida, and Utah, but i'm still only gonna count that as the one country

yes it is... Australasia/Oceania... never hesrd of it?
i didnt say SE Asia was, i said nearly two continents i.e the nearly.

I want to take a gap year in a couple of years...

My friend said; yep, Brazil, Thailand and Australia as countries...

I said; China, New Zealand/Australia...

Anyway, I kind of agree with some things you've said in a way... But I don't see why you think people shouldn't go there.

Not everyone wants a gap year that teaches you a language, that morally changes you or gives you some divine experience. They just want a holiday?

I for one would love China so I can improve my (soon to be learnt) Chinese...

Do you have any recommendations?

I'm learning: French, Spanish, German and Italian (also, English, rusty welsh actually it's useless) and I'm starting some Russian

I'd like to improve language!

My gap year was great and if it weren't for it, it wouldn't have been able to achieve the grades things I did. I don't regret it one bit!

Not to mention a bit of boasting about the 99 countries he's visited - he knew the question would come up.

Would you like me to get some giant sugar cubes for your high horse OP?


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I'm calling bull**** on 99 countries. "I've been lucky enough to have a few study abroad opportunities"
That isn't a few. 99 is a lot of countries. Flying over them doesn't count.

A gap year is not pointless. I didn't have won but I would loved to have gone somewhere, even for 6 months.

To those who said going away for a year and lying on a beach isn't doing something productive - yes it is - because you're never going to have that opportunity to just live life for a year completely carefree and devoid of any real world problems again until you retire, similarly going and volunteering or whatever is also not pointless. These are the things that you simply don't get time to do in adult life.

I don't think it's any more character building than working full-time in the UK for a year, but it's an opportunity to go somewhere and do something that you will likely not have the opportunity to do when you are older.

Do flight transfers count?

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It's over half of all of the UN member states. Quite hard work visiting that many - my Dad has travelled a great deal to unusual parts of the world for his job and it took him quite a long time to reach those kinds of figures.

It doesn't matter how unique it is. People still want to experience it for themselves, especially if they aren't privileged enough to have had multiple travelling opportunities. I don't care if everyone else has already watched Schindlers List and read Eat Pray Love, I still want to experience those things myself and talk about them with other people. I fail to understand the benefits of being some kind of extremist hipster who refuses to do anything anyone else has. I talk about generic experiences with people all the time, but still enjoy the conversation. Someone talking about their time in Benidorm could be more interesting than someone talking about visiting the Amazon and making first contact with long lost tribes. It's the individual that makes an interesting anecdote.

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