What REALLY happens on a GAP YEAR?
For most young people, a gap year is a blast – a heady mix of freedom, travel and parties, with a spot of volunteering thrown in. But for parents it can be terrifying – all the usual fears for your child magnified by the fact they’re on the other side of the world. So are gap years really worth the expense and worry? Now an accepted part of student life, gap years can seem like an indulgence – extended holidays for the overprivileged, funded by the Bank of Mum and Dad.
On top of the eye-watering costs, there are the safety concerns, fuelled by horrendous news headlines, such as Grace Millane’s murder in New Zealand and the tragic drowning of Amelia Bambridge in Cambodia.
Around 230,000 UK 18 to 25-year-olds take a year out, though most don’t travel the whole time, spending an average of just over 10 weeks abroad, with 80% working in the UK at some point during their time off.
Only an estimated 10% of students manage to fund the
