Gap year 2023

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Go and work/volunteer in the sector that you want to later get a job in after your degree

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Get a qualification that would help with getting higher paying work beyond minimum wage (irrespective of whether it's related to your chosen career or not) or helps you further supplement your ability to get the job you want after your degree

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Do extra A Levels

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Write (book, play, novel, whatever)

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Vlog your experiences - travel maybe?

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Travel abroad (allowing for Covid restrictions)

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Start a side business - check to see if your university would allow you to continue running your business during uni

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Learn a language - particularly consider language immersion courses where you travel as well as learn

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Travel abroad to volunteer (consider saving up £2k to do this)

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Work abroad e.g. hospitality, construction, translation, etc.

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See relatives and extended families

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Anything on your bucket list

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Go on an experience day

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Pick up new skills - especially if it brings in a lot of income and is in high demand for the next 5-10 years

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Paint/anything arty (especially if you need a portfolio of some sort)

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Compose music

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Go on a day experience - see Virgin, Red Letter Days, etc.

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Take etiquette lessons - it's rare to see someone do this

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Design a game, website, app, whatever IT related (especially if you need a portfolio of some sort)

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Create a course

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Learn to dance (in whatever style you want)

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Eat particular types of foods (or a food bucket list) from all parts of the world

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Learn to cook

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Learn to sell and market

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Learn how to get a job

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Read certain books in literature and nonfiction that are highly prized/considered classics

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Watch movies that are acclaimed and are in the top 100

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Try to help turn a homeless person's life around (through a charity - it can be dangerous)

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Volunteer at a theatre

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Work on a cruiseliner (won't be able to leave the ship for X months, but you get quite a bit of money - don't waste it all)

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Volunteer at the university that you want to study at as a research assistant

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Become a life coach

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Make a low budget film

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Learn a sport

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Learn public speaking

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Learn data science/analysis

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Learn an instrument - not necessarily master it; that will take years

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Become the fittest that you ever been (not thinnest) - at least clean up your diet

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Grow your own food - e.g. allotment if you don't have the space in your garden

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Build a shed

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Assemble a computer

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Tutor people

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Do X for charity e.g. marathon, cycle, walk, whatever

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Make your own wine/cheese

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Learn to manage your finances and investments

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Confront any fears or mental issues that you might have

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Learn to drive if you haven't already

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Learn how to program and then work on a few IT projects

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Personal trainer qualifications

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Sports coaching - I had friends who have certificates for football, basketball, etc. You will need to be at least level 2 in order to coach in a sport

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Professional IT certificates

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Start your professional accounting qualification (depending on the accounting body, you might get a standalone qualification after completing X number of papers) e.g. ACCA, CIMA, ACA; consider AAT Level 3 if you are not going to do an accounting degree or want a full on accounting qualification yet

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SCAE, tea sommelier, cheese connoiseur, wine sommelier, beer sommelier/cicerone, sake sommelier, whiskey amabasador, mixology - anything else related to drinking and food

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Chef qualification from a brand name institution e.g. Cordon Bleu

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CILEx for law at Level 3

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Marketing e.g. IDM, CIM, IPA at Level 3

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CIPD Level 3 for HR

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Licenses - fancy driving a motorcycle, lorry, forklift, bus?

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Finance related qualifications e.g. Anything by CII, CISI, LIBF, CeMap up to but not including level 4

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Bartending certificates - some bartending schools will allow you to work with them upon completing their course e.g. European Bartending School (which also has bars across the world)

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Something related to health and wellbeing e.g. reflexology

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Anything in construction and trades at your local adult college (you should be able to start at Level 3)

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Language Certificates - recognised by the country they originate from e.g. DALF or Frantastique if you have already done A Level French

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Counselling Level 3

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Life coaching qualifications

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Teaching English as a Foreign Language – recommend CELTA or Trinity CertTESOL

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Touch typing

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Speed reading

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Becoming proficient in Microsoft Office

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Learning how to write academically

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Don't do anything illegal and get yourself a criminal record

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Don't spend extravagantly and have no funds for university

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Pick the things that have the highest priority or takes precedence over the rest first

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Check for compliance before doing anything regulated

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Reserach what you need before doing anything

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If you're doing a relevant degree, check to see if any of the professional qualifications would be duplicating or be rendered unnecessary by your degree

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Manage your time well.