If you’ve done your last year of school but are not yet ready to settle down to life at university or college, why not think about taking a break and having a gap year? Over 200,000 people between the ages of 18 and 25 did this last year.

【小题1】 You will become more confident and independent and learn to get on with all sorts of different people during the year, which will help you when you go to university or college. 【小题2】 Students who have had a gap year are more likely to be satisfied with their chosen courses and, therefore, are more likely to finish them.

【小题3】 Doing voluntary work overseas is one of the most rewarding ways of spending your gap year. If you don’t want to work, there are plenty of other exciting educational possibilities to consider. How about studying art history in Italy? Perhaps you would like to take up acting and want to try a drama course in your gap year. 【小题4】 Maybe it has always been your dream to visit China, or India or even Australia.

Of course, you don’t have to leave home. The key to a constructive gap year is to learn new skills and work out what you want to do with your life. You can do this just as easily in your own country as you can on the other side of the world. 【小题5】.