Gap Years

[Del_R]

Just wondering, is it normal or even assumed now that a gap year will be taken? I recall in the old days it was rare thing for a student to take such a thing (indeed, to be able to afford to take such a thing) but now it seems to be accepted as almost a right of the students? Not complaining - all power to the gappers - just wondering if times have changed that much, or whether it's still the exception?

 

Cheers,

Del

[Colin Brett]

I was at work the other night and some of the students were putting together a photo exhibition in on of our public rooms. So I popped in to have a look before throwing them out as it was after midnight [college rules], do you know there were only about 5 exhibitors and between them they had been round the world twice?? None of them are twenty two years old, me I've been to Ireland!

Yep, it's the year out!

Good luck to them I say.

Travel is so much cheaper these days and much easier to do.

A flight to the USA when I was their age cost an arm and a couple of legs, now it's £200 "ish". Plus there was probably only one flight a week.

 

So yes times have changed and changed a lot.

 

Colin [hoping to go abroad this year for the first time]

[Jim Roper]

Colin Brett:

[hoping to go abroad this year for the first time]

The younger you can get the education, the easier it is but, it depends what you call 'education'.

 

I won't be going abroad again. I haven't seen one thousandth of this country yet, let alone Scotland and Wales.

Anyway, I get seasick, won't fly and refuse to have a passport that has anything to do with Europe on it!

[Ken L]

Gap year ?

No thanks.

It's no longer a year out, it's a lifestyle option. I've been traveling every 18 months for the last 15 years.

OK, so I don't havwe kids to tie me down but travel isnt the gap year = get it out of your system thing that it used to be.

It's afordable and with a bit of persuasion, most employers can see the sence in letting you go out for a couple of weeks in the spring and autumn if youre there over christmas and the suimmer holliday period.

 

BTW, as I write, I'm chillin out in Sri Lanka after a couple of beers and it'ts still 25 degrees at 9:20 at night !

[terryk]

During my time at uni (20 odd years ago) the only students to take a year out were those studying engineering type degrees. It was spent working in their relevant industry, learning the 'trade'.

 

Terry

[Jeff S]

Ken L:

 

 

BTW, as I write, I'm chillin out in Sri Lanka after a couple of beers and it'ts still 25 degrees at 9:20 at night !

Ken..? those coconuts were made by elephants

[poledark]

Gap year is not adviseable for Maths related subjects as apparently the brain can switch off and then takes a while to get restarted again.

 

None of my three boys took a year off

 

"Get your degree and get out to work said I, and start paying us back for the thousands it has cost us to send you there "

 

Den

[Jim Roper]

I see the government have come round to something like my father advocated for 50 years or more. He reckoned everyone should leave school at 14 and go to nightschool to continue their studies.

[Lid]

I took nearly a year off in my 'gap' year in 1980. Quite a few of us did then as we took extra entrance exams in the winter term after A levels, so couldn't start until the following October anyway.

 

I actually ended up working as a roof insulator for my a district council for the whole nine months!