Redefining the gap year: breaking stereotypes for career-building

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With a study revealing that 24% of Exeter students took a gap year prior to beginning their degree, it is time to ask whether the taboo ‘gap yah’ could actually set your CV apart when it comes to graduate job applications. It seems the typical gap year formula: budget travel and time spent ‘finding yourself’ is being swapped for educational and volunteering experiences. 

Due to changes in the Student Finance system during 2022, many in my cohort refrained from taking a gap year to avoid the lowered repayment threshold. However, of my first year 10-person flat, 3 had taken a gap year. Contrary to the stereotypes, my friends spent their gap years working and embarking on foundation degrees, some of which, such as Art and Design, can be free of cost for students under 19. It seems increasingly common for students to utilise their gap years as a time to prepare both financially and educationally for university. Olivia Flynn, a third-year Anthropology student, said her gap year gave her the time she needed to ‘get ready for the transition to university’ and with the money she had saved working, she was able to go interrailing across Europe. This aligns with The State of Student and Youth Travel’s 2024 annual report which suggested upwards of 87% of students believed vocational travel improved their employability. It is therefore no surprise that sightseeing, experiencing different cultures, and rejuvenating were cited as the top reasons why students took a gap year. 

“…budget travel and time spent ‘finding yourself’ is being swapped for educational and volunteering experiences.”

Whilst the standard gap year route across South-East Asia retains its popularity with young travellers, working trips to Australia, New Zealand and Canada can make gap year travel more financially accessible. Or at least they did, until Brexit, which according to trade bodies of Seasonal Business in Travel, is the primary cause for the decrease of Britons working abroad. The number of British workers has decreased from 11,970 in 2017 to just 3,700 in 2023. Therefore, experiences offered by companies like The Leap, which include volunteering and language learning in exchange for free accommodation, have skyrocketed in popularity. 

Taking time out of education, whether that comes before or after your University experience, can give you the necessary time to build up savings, encounter new cultures, or simply recharge. Although taking a gap year remains a personal decision and may not be the right fit for everyone, the benefits one can gain outside the classroom should never be diminished.