Are you a sixth form student feeling more excited by the prospect of a Gap Year than the prospect of jumping straight into a degree, but you don’t know where to start? Or are you a sceptical parent worried your now gap year enthusiast child will end on the sofa for 18 months eating you out of house and home?
In our latest Dukes Club webinar, Magoo Giles, principal and founder of Knightsbridge school chatted to Milly Whitehead, founder of Gap Year travel company, the Leap, who shared her wealth of knowledge with Dukes parents and students thinking about making this choice.
Milly pointed out that this is the only period in a person’s life that all their family and friends are going to congratulate them on taking 18 months off. It’s a socially accepted thing to do at this age, so this is a wonderful moment to grab the opportunity and make sure you turn it into a dynamic positive experience.
But what do you do and how do you do it? 18 months is a long time so what does it look like?
Milly suggest splitting the year into chunks of work and play. Start with a holiday – you deserve it after those A-levels. So hit the beach! Get ready for a stint of work from September to December and plan a Gap Year experience in January or February. Return in May or June for some fun summer work in the UK and time to get ready for University in September.
But how do you decide where to go and what to do on this experience? Milly encouraged students to think about their travelling style and their family expectations. The friends you planned on travelling with may not want to do the same things as you. And your parents may have views and concerns too that should be taken into account. Now is the time to get together around the kitchen table to discuss goals, values and what you want to achieve. Once this is done – the world is your oyster.
Milly explored the pros and cons of popular destinations and explained why Central and South America are her personal favourites. She talked about the changes to ski experiences post Covid and delved into why volunteering offers so much more than just work but provides an opportunity for complete cultural immersion and learning gains.
Watch the webinar here.