Let’s play a quick word association game, where I say a word and you reply with the first word that comes into your mind. My word is “gap year” (OK, that’s two words). Was your response word “travel”?
As my son prepares to take a gap year (and my daughter finishes first-year university after taking a year’s break), I’m realising just how strongly gap years are associated with travel. Yet, for many school leavers contemplating a year away from study, travel is either well down the list of options, only a small part of their next 12 to 15 months, or not on the agenda at all.
Taking a gap year between Year 12 and university seems to be a modern-day phenomenon, yet I did exactly this when I finished school (ahem) nearly 30 years ago. Back then, we called it “defer for a year”.
When I finished school, travel was the last thing on my mind, partly because I was only 16 but also because I had exactly zero money. Increasing both my age and bank balance before starting uni seemed like a wise decision. I got a full-time job, continued to consider which university course was best for me (I still made the wrong decision but, hey, that’s life) and enjoyed a year of much-needed social and life-skills expansion.
I’ve encouraged both my kids to take a gap year for similar reasons plus the fact that their most likely scenario has always been moving from our regional home to study in a city.
On hearing about my son’s gap year plans, his dentist cheerfully remarked about how fantastic 12 months of travel would be. At the year 12 graduation assembly, one of my son’s friends told me he wouldn’t be taking a gap year because he didn’t have money for travel. Media articles about gap years often focus on travel too.
Though the idea of a full year of roaming around the world might be amazing for social media likes, the only people I can imagine being able to prioritise travel as the main event of their gap year are those from rather affluent families or with connections overseas, and perhaps those with enough bravery to wing low-budget travel combined with managing to find some sort of work while on the move.
For many, travel is unaffordable as a gap year option, in particularly in these challenging economic times. Teens who aren’t yet fully adulting are still aware of high living costs, tighter Youth Allowance eligibility criteria, ridiculous rent prices, increasingly insecure work options and the prospect of immense Hecs debts.
Gap years can be an essential way for young people to save money to help fund their lives while they study. This is especially important for regional and rural students, for whom government support and scholarships will only form part of their financial puzzle. I hugely appreciate the federal government’s decision, made earlier this year, to include students who have taken a gap year in the eligibility for $3,000-5,000 TAP (Tertiary Access Payments) that are for young people who need to move away from home for study.
Gap years also allow young people more time to work out their ideal study direction, just like I tried to do during my deferment. Or to consider that tertiary study is not in fact for them (an increasingly valid option given the sad state of our universities).
Then, there’s the maturity factor. I’m looking forward to my son getting some more work experience, taking on a good share of household tasks, keeping up friendships without automatically seeing each other at school and so many other aspects of launching his young adult life.
Year 12 exams are coming to a close across the country.
So, in the coming days, weeks and months, if you hear of a young person considering a gap year, please ask them about all of their plans rather than only focusing on ideas they have for travel.
• Vivienne Pearson is a freelance writer
