A year off- also called a gap year-is not a new concept, but there's now a focus on making the most of this break from academic life. Long gone (be)the days of just hanging out on a beach or backpacking round the world. While that is still an option, a gap year is now (much) about gaining skills that (help) you in later life. The BBC' s Smart Consumer podcast spoke to a student called Meg, said" I just always had in the back of my mind I'd spend a year on something productive and something that would just be good fun. "
Doing something productive is (exact) what students are being encouraged to do because doing more purposeful things like work experience or voluntary work helps them acquire skills to use when competing for place at university. It looks good on their CV and makes them more employable.
While the benefits of taking a gap year are clear (see), some students worry they can't afford it. Another student, Tom, told the BBC that to him, a gap year was an 'alien concept'. He said" it would have been far too expensive it's not something that I would have been able to rely on my parents or family (member) for. "But some experts say that it needn't burn a hole in your pocket; you don't need to travel far and you can even earn money doing paid work.
