As the years begin to flash by, we can all get that sudden panic. Society may be telling you that it’s time to settle down, buy a house, get married and start a family. But your heart is saying something completely different: it’s time to travel.

And while a lot of people choose to do their travelling early on in life, by taking a gap year, there can be huge benefits to waiting until you are slightly older.

By travelling later on in life, you will have a completely different perspective on the whole experience and some say, you appreciate it more. Travelling when you are younger, as a gap year is all about fun and excitement and discovering somewhere new. But by taking a working holiday a few years later, the trip can have a deeper meaning. You can find out so much more about yourself, your ambitions and your priorities as well as of course, discovering some beautiful areas of the world.

Of course, work is not the thing that immediately springs onto your ‘to do’ list when you think about travelling, but in fact, working abroad as part of a working holiday can be an enriching experience.
For a start, it will help you to meet new people, find out more about the area and its culture and really feel a part of their community. You can learn so much too. So forget about those pressures from society. Follow your heart; take a working holiday.

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You may be thinking of taking a gap year so that you can have some time out from work or education to try something different. The best way to make proper use of your gap year is to volunteer with an overseas non-profit organisation or charity, where the work that you do can make a real difference
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There are a number of projects you can get involved in. You can get involved with people projects, animal projects or conservation projects. People projects involve teaching children and young adults, helping with summer camps and caring for the homeless and underprivileged. These projects allow you to reach out to people and make a real difference in their lives.

If you care deeply about the welfare of animals then there are numerous opportunities to work in zoos and wildlife conservations, rescuing and caring for animals.

Conservation projects allow you to get involved with caring for the planet; through the conservation of endangered animals, marine life and plants, as well as essential research projects.

All of these volunteering opportunities not only have the ‘feel-good’ factor, but they also improve and develop your skills and experience as well as your maturity and knowledge as a person. These look amazing on your CV and can seriously impress future employers. So, go off and see the world and come back with vastly improved future prospects.

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When you are travelling within the UK or abroad, it is always worthwhile investing in travel insurance. Travel insurance will cover all aspects of your trip from missed flights, lost or stolen luggage and medical expenses.

When travelling, you will not have access to medical facilities like we have in the UK. You need to be prepared for this and ensure you have sought the advice of a doctor prior to your departure. This will include have immunisations such as typhoid and yellow fever, and you might need to take malaria tablets if you are going to an area where you might be at risk.

If you are going with an organised company, they might offer to arrange your insurance for you. However, it is always worth shopping around as you might be able to get yourself a good deal elsewhere. Most travel insurance companies have online facilities so you can compare prices and different types of cover at a click of a button.

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Raising funds for your gap year or working holiday can be an arduous task, however, if you approach it in the right way, you’ll have enough funds to get you through your trip.

Try not to think too big when it comes to fundraising, the more complicated it is, the likelihood that you won’t raise the funds you were hoping for. Think locally, do you know anyone who has their own business. Businesses can give money to a charity as it cannot be taxed and therefore saves them money. This is always good to drop this into the conversation if they are unsure about donating money.

Why not organise something amongst your group of friends or try contacting your local MP, they might know of organisations in the locality that can help you. Even if it is the local walking shop who might give you a discount on your walking boots or give you a traveller’s rucksack for all of your gear.

Any help that you get is worthwhile whether it is small or large scale, so don’t turn down an offer to assist you in your fund raising. Even if it means standing outside Tesco on a Saturday morning in order to raise money. Every little helps.

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The thought of going on a gap year for most people is a daunting prospect. However, with the right advice, equipment and a specialist company, your gap year should run without any glitches.

Often, when considering taking a gap year, some people head off to Australia, the Far East or even America on their own or with a group of friends. But why not consider going with an organised group.
There are a variety of specialist companies who deal specifically with gap years. They travel to various locations around the world to give you a truly exhilarating and life changing gap year. Whether you want to spend time working with children in a school in Africa or helping at an elephant sanctuary in India, there is something to cater for everybody. In addition, you will make a new set of friends who might end up being friends for life.

If you take a gap year with an organised group, you do not have to worry about accommodation, food or travel arrangements as this is all done for you. However, normally you are expected to book your own flights. You can choose to go on your own or with a friend and you will be allocated to a group on arrival at your destination.

Taking a gap year needn’t be stressful; it should be fun and exciting.

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The idea of a holiday for most people would be sitting on a remote beach somewhere, in glorious sunshine, with a cold beer in one hand and a good book in the other. However, some people would prefer to take a working holiday abroad instead.

Working holidays give you the opportunity to experience life in another country whilst giving something back to the community or area in which you are working in. Not everybody has the opportunity to take a month or six months off work on a sabbatical.

More often than not you will spend a week or two helping with projects throughout the world such as caring for animals in Belize to teaching children in Thailand. You will come away from the holiday feeling very satisfied, deep in the knowledge that you have helped in some shape or form.

The types of trips on offer are varied and you can pick and choose which project and for how long you want to go for. Most projects are suitable for couples or a group of friends, although they can usually accommodate a single person as well. The minimum age to participate is eighteen and you do not need any formal qualifications to apply.

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The recession could be a great time to take a well earned career break. There is a variety of different projects and volunteer groups that you could become involved in and you can go for a minimum of one week to a maximum of six months.

Finding the courage to take a career break can be quite daunting, but it can look brilliant on your CV if you have become involved in a project that is really worthwhile. Most placements make use of your existing skills and experience to make the trip extremely beneficial to your. There are some many different projects to become involved in you are sure to find the right one to benefit your skills and expertise.

However, if you would rather undertake a working holiday, there are numerous trips and organisations who will happily take on an individual or group of friends. Often for a week or more people wishing to take a working holiday or ethical holiday can join a programme of support and development in local communities all over the world. Projects include helping in the Amazon, assisting with marine conservation and wildlife rescue.

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Organising a gap year can be overwhelming. There is so much to think about and just when you think it’s all done and dusted, up crops another problem or issue.

It’s often best to get professionals to help you out with the planning of a gap year, but whether you are doing it alone, or have a helping hand, there are certain things you must always consider.

Much of the planning will depend on just one thing: your budget. Many of us like to think that it’s not there and that we can forget about the money. But sadly, for most of us, that is not the case. But having a budget does not mean that you should be restricted. With careful planning, you should still be able to complete a rewarding and life enriching gap year.

The money you have has to pay for everything from your flights, travel, clothes, equipment, food and accommodation. So sit down and carefully work out how much you have to spend.

Then, with your budget in mind, it’s time to draw up a wish list. What would you like to achieve on your gap year? Where would you like to visit? And what would you like to do? If you would like to complete some voluntary work on your gap year, ensure that you sign up for this as soon as possible.

It is then time to start researching. Find companies who will help you to arrange a gap year and get travel advice from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Planning a gap year takes time. You should set aside at least a year to organise everything. But once you are on that plane, flying thousands of miles away, you will realise all that planning and organising was worth it.

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After all those years at school, those GCSEs, A Levels and masses of coursework, the last thing that most high school leavers want to do is jump straight into university.

And that is why so many of them are now choosing to take gap years.

Once you have finished high school, it is the perfect time to relax, travel, discover the world and find out a little more about yourself.

The options available to anyone who is looking to complete a gap year are huge. You can undertake voluntary work, adventurous trips or cultural visits. There really is something to suit anyone.

On a gap year, you can have the opportunity to work in some beautiful areas of the world and to really make a difference. If you choose to go on a voluntary scheme, it is an excellent way to begin your travels as you will get to meet new people, you will have the chance to build up your confidence and develop some useful skills.

The project that you undertake can range from teaching in Tanzania, jungle conservation in Peru or wildlife rescue in Thailand.

No matter which trip you take, it certainly beats jumping straight into the coursework and books again. Take a break, discover the world, discover yourself and feel refreshed and prepared for your university life.

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Making a life plan at the best of times is difficult enough. But when the recession is showing no signs of disappearing, the task can be even more daunting.

Jobs are difficult to come by and finding a role in a field that you actually want to pursue is near on impossible.

So when it comes to the end of your time at school or university, it can be an idea to take some time out. And ‘time out’ does not mean sitting in front of the television watching daytime television and snacking on biscuits all day. In fact, time out can be incredibly rewarding, thought provoking and adventurous.

If a gap year is not really your idea of fun, then a summer mini gap might be more up your street. With a voluntary programme as part of a summer mini gap, you can go abroad and do something really worthwhile.

A mini gap can last anything from one week to two months. And during this time, you can explore a new country and really make a difference with some voluntary work.

The mini gap programmes run between July and the end of August. And they can involve anything from bear rescue in Cambodia to elephant care in Thailand. The opportunities are endless and whether you would like to work with people, animals or conservation, there will be something to suit you.

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