This is a question that is asked every year and yet the debate still rages on. Is it a good idea to take a ‘year out’ abroad either between school and university or between university and starting working life?
Taking A Year Out Abroad – the Pro’s
For me, travel is always a good idea. What better education is there than traveling the world and experiencing different cultures, food, languages and a completely different way of life first hand? As far as I’m concerned, the more off the beaten track you go, the more amazing your experiences are. Working abroad during a year out (as many people do) is such a fantastic experience, especially for young people who are often living away from their parents clutches for the first time. Being completely responsible for oneself in a ‘foreign’ environment’ really does make people grow up (for the better). One learns to fend for themselves, and realizes that you only get back what you put in. Stuff up a job or spend all your money in the first week and that’s the end of your trip. It makes sense to wake up, smell the roses and get the best out of your trip as it may well be your once in a life time opportunity. On return those that have traveled are often ready and willing to start a new chapter in their lives. They’ve had time to live a little and experience the world and are now ready to start their studies or a ‘proper job’with relish.
I didn’t take a ‘year out’ myself, at least not in the traditional sense. I went straight from school to uni (although I did do a World Challenge expedition to India for a month). After uni I signed up for a 3 month trip to the Amazon to study the flora and fauna and this turned out to be one of the most memorable experiences of my life. While these trips were fairly short (when compared to a year abroad) they really opened my eyes to the world. Whilst I had been lucky enough to see Europe, the US and Canada with my parents, going to these ‘less developed’ countries with wildly different cultures and living in fairly basic conditions really made me realize how privelidged a life I have.
It seems a shame not to let pre/post graduates to have a year of fun before settling down into a ‘normal life’. Normal being; get a job, meet someone, buy a house, get married, have kids. This is the pattern that the majority of us follow which often leaves little room for a year of travel and adventure.
Sometimes it is the kids that are reticent about taking a year out. Their parents did it themselves and are keen for their children to have the same opportunity. However the kids are worried that they will be leaving their friends behind, and may not fit in when they return. They worry that they may not want to return to uni or that they can not afford to do both. Of course, these are real concerns. Taking a year out is not for everyone. But for anyone that does have a passion to travel, and accepts the possible sacrifices they may have to make then why not encourage them? I don’t know of anyone who has regretted the decision to take a year out, it is an experience they will treasure forever. I will certainly be encouraging my son to travel when the time comes.
Taking a ‘year out’ isn’t just for the pre and post graduates. You could do it at any age, although the ties of a house and children of school age make this much more difficult. My partner and I took a year out when we were 26. We went to Australia on a one year working holiday visa and loved it so much that we ended up staying for two and a half years. The thing was, we actually worked harder and did better career wise than we had done in the UK. Taking a year out abroad doesn’t always mean dossing around as is many people’s perception. It can be a great career move to. We made great contacts, took professional training courses and learnt a hell of a lot during our time there.
Five years later we’re having ‘a year out’ again, this time in Spain and with our two year old son in tow. Being older and with a child it is inevitably a very different experience to that of a twenty-something, but taking the time to savour what is really important in life and experience another country is invaluable. We’re learning about the ‘real spain’, picking up some of the Spanish language and enjoying the fantastic cuisine in the local café’s and restaurants. It need not cost a fortune. In these dire economic times, renting a villa is cheap as chips, less than the cost of a one bed flat in the UK.
Taking A Year Out – the Con’s
Some people think that education or work should always come first. Travel is often seen as an indulgence, with little real value to be gained. They feel it is better to go straight on to uni, arguing that by the time you return from your travels you will have lost the discipline required to study. Taking a year out after studying is often seen as an even worse offence; you now need to pay off your student debts and should start work immediately.
However, I feel people with this opinion have failed to see the real value in taking a ‘year out’. Personally, I think that by traveling and working abroad you will learn more, meet a far greater diversity of people and learn the very valuable skills of independence and free thinking that will stand you out from the crowd when looking for a job. Of course, it is up to the individual to make the most of their time abroad. If you are thinking of taking a ‘year out’, what ever you choose to do, don’t waste this opportunity, it really is a chance in a life time.