For young people with academic minds, there can sometimes seem to be a natural progression from school to college or university, or a drive to study a particular subject further in order to pursue a specific career.

For others, there may be an uncertainty over which direction to take, or a calling to explore the big wide world. In this case, taking a gap year may be the way to go.

If you are a young person coming to the end of your studies or an adult between jobs looking for a change, you may have considered taking a year out to explore your options.

Immerse yourself in other cultures

Travel is a great way to immerse yourself in other cultures and experience new things. Going to foreign lands can help you to gain an insight into other countries, their peoples and their customs, where you can see distinctive architecture, hear different languages, and savour diverse cuisines.

Another idea could be to try out ideas – maybe careers you have considered but aren’t sure about. Therefore, you could do some volunteering, work shadowing or get a short-term job to get a taste of what’s out there and make some contacts for the future.

Or you could combine travel with volunteering. If you search the internet, you will find there are numerous organisations you can book with, and you could go to wonderful places and work with an array of people – ideas could include elephant conservation in India, fruit picking in New Zealand, or teaching English in Peru. If you choose to volunteer with animals, ensure you have done thorough research and choose a reputable organisation to work with.

Though before you pack in your employment or quit your studies, ensure you have prepared for your break. Have a solid plan in mind so that you don’t waste the months away – know your reasons for taking time out and have some aims of what you want to achieve. Save up some money – research what you want to do and the costs involved, then set a target to save up enough to fund your activities.

Consider benefits and drawbacks

Also consider the drawbacks as well as the benefits of having a year out. These may include finding it harder to readjust to the daily grind of work or study when you return, or paying out more than you expected, which could make you financially worse off than you were.

Bear in mind that a gap year doesn’t have to be a whole year – you may choose three or six months to have some thinking time.

When you do start to apply to university or look for paid employment, wider experience looks great on your CV, as it highlights you have gained many transferrable skills. So don’t just dream it, do it!