What to do on your gap year

If you need a breather between school and uni (or whatever’s next), eyeball these angles.

Some people slide straight from the HSC into their first uni lecture. They seem to have somehow joined campus clubs and become editor of Honi Soit over the summer holidays. But if that’s not you – if you need to take some time away from classrooms and essays – here are some ideas for a gap year scenario. And the best part is, you can combine some of them!

Volunteer for a cause that’s close to your heart

There’s no shortage of things wrong with this world, which means there’s no shortage of opportunities for you to get in there and starting making those things right. Some people head over to Nepal and build houses. Others ensure turtles don’t go extinct just yet. You could also work on a project that’s closer to your heart and community.

Backpacks up, baths down

It’s a cliché for a reason: one of the best ways to see the world is with a backpack full of wrinkled clothes, electrical adaptors and dreams. Save up, stuff a bag with some junk you reckon you’ll need and jump on a plane for a gap year to remember. Hot tip: you’ll probably need Imodium. And roll-on deodorant. And information on what you’re allowed to do on your visa.

See Australia in all its glory

You’ve got your whole life to move to Sydney or Melbourne because “that’s where the jobs are”. For now, you’re free and have the option to explore everything else this enormous country of ours has to offer. That might mean heading off the beaten track to see Australia’s incredible natural wonders, visiting different communities to see how they live or making a plan to see every major art gallery on the continent.

Learn something different

Maybe it’s an instrument, maybe you do some short workshops to build practical skills or perhaps you do an internship. There are lots of options here before you go into uni proper. Proper uni. You know what we mean.

Get a jerbbbb

It might not sound as exciting as the other options, but there’s something to be said for the responsibility and money that come with having a work schedule and money coming into your account. It’ll give you some fresh perspectives and more maturity. And nicer things.