Taking Taking a gap year before university is more popular than ever. Many school and college leavers feel they deserve a break from an increasingly stressful education system. It can be the perfect way to broaden your perspective, forget about exams, and prove to yourself that you can cope with whatever life throws at you. We have all heard the arguments against taking a gap year: !ou"re too young young# # !o !ou can alway alwayss travel travel later later on# on# !o !ou"ll u"ll only only be addi adding ng to your your stude student nt debt debt. . $ut $ut many many empl employ oyers ers favo favour ur graduates with a gap year behind them. We take on around five traine traineee writer writerss and resear researche chers rs each each year, year, says says %laire %laire &mith, &mith, deputy editor of 'egal $usiness maga(ine. Well)st ll)stru ruct ctur ured ed gap gap years ears can can impr improv ovee your our empl employ oyme ment nt prospects, indicating that you are self)reliant, resourceful and able to solv solvee prob proble lem ms. Time ime out out afte afterr univ univer ersi sity ty can can also also be rewarding, but many students are now so heavily in debt that immediate *ob)hunting becomes the only credible option. The gap between school or college and university is the ideal time to do something completely different. http:++www.guardian.co.uk+education+--+aug+/0+students.gapyea rtravel
2 A. TRUE or FALSE? Qo!e fro" !he !e#! !o Applicants $%%or! a&& 'or a($er$. with a gap year experience 1) are still not valued by most companies! 2) A gap year can help you build up new skills and know yourself better! better! Most peop people le thin think k that that a gap gap year year 3) Most involves travelling abroad! 4) More and more students are delaying going to university! her work workin ing g expe experie rienc nce, e, 5) "espite her Savann Savannah ah still still doesn’ doesn’tt know what what she wants to do after university! 2 0. A($er !he fo&&o*(g e$!*o($4 *( 'or o( ord$ a$ far a$ %o$$*b&e. 1) #hy is it more di$cult to take a year out after university% Savannah ah always always dream dream about about 2) "id Savann taking a year out% &ustify! #hat has has Sava avannah nnah lear learn nt fro from 3) #hat having applied for so many 'obs%
WHY I TOOK A WORKING GAP YEAR by &avannah 1ersov When I tell people I"m on my gap year I"m normally met with 2uestions about which exotic, faraway places I"ve visited. 3ctually, I"ve spent the time at home, working. I took an unexpected gap year after realising one month into my 2 university course that I"d chosen the wrong degree. It was too late . o"%&e!e !he fo&&o*(g in the day to swap sub*ects so I decided to defer entry until the $e(!e(ce$ foll follow owin ing g year and and spen spend d the the next next /- mont months hs getti getting ng work work "ea(*(gf&&'. experience and building up my savings. stressed out students students decide 1) Many stressed It looks like I"m not the only one doing so. 3lthough the number of … students deferring entry to university has been in steady decline 2) A gap year experience can increase since --4, those who are taking gap years are years are keen to spend the students’ chances of … time oosting their employment skills skills.. 3) Savannah’s gap year not only helped When When I starte started d looking looking for work I was eager to get a variety of her to get some working experience, … experiences. Within weeks of being back home I found out that I 4) aving stayed at home, rather than had been offere offered d a positio position n at the 5aralympi 5aralympics cs 6ames. 6ames. I then travelling abroad, allowed Savannah … secured work as a food prep assistant at sporting events and a tutor After her gap year, Savann Savannah ah now 5) After for 7)/0 year olds 8 I even handed out fliers in 'eicester &2uare. 3nd, after volunteering with a local charity, I was offered a *ob as a 1 . /a!ch !he ord$ fro" !he !e#! personal support worker for adults adults with learning disabilities. 6 *!h My year might not ri!al my friends" in terms of tropical weather or !he*r "ea(*(g o( !he r*gh!. drunken drunken escapades but it has changed changed my perspectives. perspectives. Instead of 1) take on a) to improve travelling to different continents, I"ve visited areas of 'ondon, my 2) resourceful b) gratifying home town, I hadn"t known before. 9ather than riding on camels 3) rewarding c) I"m learning to drive a car. creative/imaginative &pending /- months working has helped me get a feel for what I"d like like to do in the the futu future re I"m I"m now now keen keen to work work in 19 or 4) swap d) keen recrui recruitme tment. nt. When When I start start univer university sity in &eptem &eptember ber I know know that that 5) defer e) to match alongside studying and having fun, I need to start building the 6) boosting f) to postpone experience and skills needed to get on the career ladder. Writing 7) eager g) to employ do(ens of *ob applications made me realise *ust how much students 8 rival h to switch need to work hard to ensure that they stand out at interviews. !heyear co"%&e!e *! *!h ord$ g*+e(, 1 I"ve I"ve E. finishe finRead ished d my ye!e#! ar excite excbe&o ited d about aboa(d ut beginn beg inning ing a new course course,!he , making friends and getting involved in university life. Instead of 6
broade(*(g
e#a" cha&&e(g*(g o+er$ea$ goa&$
a%%eara(ce choo$e
e(r*ch
A year out between school or college and higher education and a 'ob can o2er you an exciting and 345 opportunity, be it at home or 365! 1t can and probably will 375 your life forever, aside from 385 your view of the world and those around you 9 providing you plan your time wisely and carefully consider your longer term personal 3:5; #hat you 3<5 to do in your year out is totally up to you, but it is worth remembering that it will say a lot about you! #hatever you decide to do it is going to make an 3=5 on your )>, so you may as well make the year as exciting and rewarding for yourself as possible! 1f properly lanned a ear out can sa as much if not more about ou as an individual as an set of
F. o"%&e!e each $e(!e(ce $*(g
so
or
neither
a(d !he ;%ro)(o( *( brac
1 8
1) 1’m not going to go on strike and 3*om5 … 2) e applied for several 'obs online yesterday and 315… 3) 1’d rather go straight to college and 3she5 and … 4) 1 don’t want to spend my free time at . Re%or! !he fo&&o*(g $e(!e(ce$.
2 -
1) .*alk with your counsellor at the year out organiation tomorrow!0 e advised me … 2) .#here did you stay in Angola%0 1 asked her … 3) .)an you help me with the application form%0 #illiam asked me !!! 4) .#e don’t want to miss out on this chance to go abroad!0 *hey told me… =. U$e e*!her a( FT>E or FR/ of !he +erb$ *( brac
1 6
1) 1’m used to 3travel5 abroad to do some voluntary work! 2) -ou’d better 3organise5 your trip before you leave! 3) @eter had some di$culty 3adapt5 to the hot weather in Africa! 4) 1t was great 3help5 all those little children in need! 5) 1 didn’t expect ?ichard 3take5 some time o2! 6) et’s 3do5 some volunteer work for AM1! 7) *hey explained how 3get5 a visa for the trip! 8) "o you mind 3phone5 the organiation Year in Industry?
. ( (o &e$$ !ha( 2-- ord$: do o(e of !he fo&&o*(g.
5 -
1) TA A EAR UT 9 S T FR U? (earing in mind the text write an essay about the advantages and disadvantages of taking a gap year! State your personal opinion on the topic! 2) / FUTURE REA/ AREER )hoosing a career path is not an easy task! *here are so many possibilities and so many decisions to make! #rite about your fears and ambitions regarding your future career in this time of economic crisis!
+A.
45 BAS C (ut many employers favour graduates with a gap year behind them! 65 *?D 9 #ellCstructured gap years can improve your employment prospects, indicating that you are selfCreliant, resourceful and able to solve problems! 75 *?D C #hen 1 tell people 1Em on my gap year 1Em normally met with Fuestions about which exotic, faraway places 1Eve visited! 85 BAS 9 … the number of students deferring entry to university has been in steady decline since 6GG=… :5 BAS C Spending 4G months working has helped me get a feel for what 1Ed like to do in the future 9 1Em now keen to work in ? or recruitment! 0. 45 1t’s more di$cult because many students are already in debt so that they need to Hnd a 'ob right away! 65 Io, she didn’t! 1t was a rather unexpected decision! She decided to take a year out because she didn’t like her course very much 9 she thought it was the wrong one! 75 Savannah has become aware that students must really work hard to stand out and do better than others at 'ob interviews ! . 45 Many stressed out students decide to take a gap year before university! 65 A gap year experience can increase students’ chances of getting a 'ob! 75 Savannah’s gap year not only helped her to get some working experience, but also to save some money/build up her savings! 85 aving stayed at home, rather than travelling abroad, allowed Savannah to get to know her city better! :5 After her gap year, Savannah now feels ready to enter/start university! . 4g5 6c5 7b5 8h5 :f5
