Taking a year out

Whether you want to learn a new skill, raise your cultural awareness or buy yourself some thinking time before making the move into work or further study, a gap year could be the answer.

What is a gap year?

Traditionally, the phrase 'gap year' meant a period of time taken out by students after leaving college and before starting university. Now, gap years can happen at any stage, by anyone, and for varying amounts of time.

You can fly off to sunnier climates and experience different cultures or stay closer to home and sample what the UK has to offer. Whatever your destination, some examples of gap year activities include: conservation work; adventure travel programmes; summer schools; and internships. To find out more, search for gap year on our online careers library, or view gap year opportunities on the Prospects website.