Taking time out from study, work or training

A year off, or gap year, after secondary school is common overseas, and the idea is becoming increasingly popular in New Zealand.

There are many reasons for taking a year out. You may want a break after spending more than a decade at school, or want to avoid a big student loan by saving money for tertiary study.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of taking a year out?

Five months full-time work in a job he didn't enjoy helped push William Arlidge to work hard at university.

"I saw the difference when I looked at my classmates in first year. I got really good grades. I sat down and did all my homework while everyone else was slacking off."

William Arlidge, University Student

Read more about William's gap year

There can be disadvantages to a gap year. You may:

• be a year behind your former friends and classmates
• find it hard to pick up certain subjects up again or get back into the study habit
• be tempted by a good offer when it may be in your best interests to enter study instead
• not make as much money as you hoped you might.

What sort of things can I do while taking a year out or having a gap year?

A year off from studying might be spent in your home town, perhaps working full-time in a job that was previously a part-time job. Or it might involve going to live with friends or relatives in another town or city where there are more opportunities for full-time work. These jobs are often practical or labouring positions that may not relate to future study.

A gap year can also involve some component of working or travelling overseas. This could include:

• working at summer camps in the USA such as Camp America
• spending a year overseas as a high school exchange student
• being involved in volunteer social, environmental or conservation projects
• participating in sporting or other cultural exchanges
• working overseas as an au pair or nanny
• teaching English overseas.

Sam Langton had finished Seventh Form but hadn't decided on a career.

"I needed a job, so I had a look around to see what was going. My mum told me that there were jobs going at the hospital for orderlies.

"It's good experience. You're interacting with a lot of people, so you find out more about how people are - instead of just stereotyping people. It's good for students who want to do a gap year."

Sam Langton, Hospital Orderly

Read more about Sam's job as a hospital orderly

Find out more about what you can do in your gap year