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Are you brave enough to take a gap year before going to college? 上大学之前，你敢参加一年的社会实践吗？
It may not be for everyone, but taking a year out can help you gain valuable experience—and even make you change course.
When I applied to university I thought seriously about taking a gap year. Afte a year at college, I was utterly demoralised . I hated the early mornings, and felt that I wouldn’t have the motivation to attend university. I felt the best course of action would be to defer my application and have a year of saving up, hopefully gaining more work experience—and maybe even fi in some travelling.① I applied for two universities: one for a 2013 entry, and one for a 2014 entry, so that I could decide what to do at a later date.
In the end, I decided against taking a gap year—I wanted to study English literature, and thought a year out would mean my essay practice would diminish.② I also knew that I could still keep my job at my local newspaper and my part-time job while I was there. Weighing up all the options, a gap year no longer seemed relevant .
Th idea of spending a year away from home is something that appeals to nearly everyone.So why is taking a gap year still considered the wildcard ?
“We saw a presentation on taking gap years at college, and it is something I would have genuinely loved to do,” says college student Holly Brooks. “But none of my friends fancied it,and I didn’t want to go it alone, especially considering the expense over the course of a year.”
For a teenage student, the prospect of providing for yourself, miles away from home, can be daunting . Thi is the primary reason many give for not ticking the deferred entry option box and booking the round-the-world plane ticket. But with an increasing number of gap year companies providing travel and trips abroad to suit any need, it is becoming easier to tailor a dream trip.③
Th company i-to-I, for example, offer opportunities to teach English, work with wildlife,volunteer with children and building projects in locations such as Australia, Costa Rica, China and Cambodia. Thes schemes give you the chance to volunteer for a worthy cause, as well as to gain some valuable work experience.④
You can also fin gap year companies, such as Real Gap Experience, that cover everything from internships abroad to paid work and volunteering—all in the same place. It offer ideas and inspiration to kickstart your travelling dream.
But gap years don’t have to be all about travel. You can have a beneficial year out of education and stay right where you are. Stephanie Wood wants to be a mental health nurse,but with allied health courses being some of the most exclusive and competitive around, she is taking a year of from education in order to gain an edge through work experience: “My plan is to get a job that directly relates to my course for the next few months, so I can really gain a deeper understanding of the healthcare system. Working there over a stretch of time will both give me an impression and insight into the working world of nursing—knowledge to help me through university when I choose to go.⑤”
Choosing to take a year out can help you gain valuable experience as well as give you the opportunity to save up some funds to help you with accommodation when you get to university, living costs, food—or even just extra cash for freshers’ week.
Lead tutor at Thomas Rotherham College, Hilary Jaques, says students should take advantage of the support offered by their school or college: “The advice that I would give as a tutor would be to apply to university to try and secure a place for deferred entry. The the student has something to aim for, and something to fall back on. The also get the benefi of all of the application support offered in college, and they won’t have to do it themselves the following year. Th student could always withdraw and reapply if their circumstances were to change.”
Jack Flight took the option of deferred entry, and ended up changing his course. “I went to Omaruru to work with the children in a village there, afte taking sports at A-Level. I wanted a year out, but to do good at the same time, and the months I spent there inspired me to change my career course and go down a social work path when I got back home.”
Gap years aren’t for everyone. Readjusting to an academic timetable afte spending time abroad can be a shock. You also need to consider the practicalities , from financin your gap year to surviving without home comforts.
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① I felt the best course of action would be to defer my application and have a year of saving up, hopefully gaining more work experience—and maybe even fi in some travelling. 我觉得最好的做法就是推迟我的入学申请，用一年时间来存钱，希望能累积更多的工作经验—甚至能抽出时间来旅行。
course of action 做法，行动步骤
fi in适应，适合；装配好；找时间做
② In the end, I decided against taking a gap year—I wanted to study English literature, and thought a year out would mean my essay practice would diminish. 最后，我决定先不在上大学前体验“间隔年”——我想先修英国文学，而且我认为间隔一年意味着减少了练习写作的机会。
decide against决定不；作出不利于……的判决
③ This is the primary reason many give for not ticking the deferred entry option box and booking the round-the-world plane ticket. But with an increasing number of gap year companies providing travel and trips abroad to suit any need, it is becoming easier to tailor a dream trip. 这是很多人不选择延迟入学、预订环球之旅机票的主要原因。随着越来越多的“间隔年”公司提供旅游行程和迎合任何需要的出国旅行，为自己量身定制一个梦想之旅变得越来越简单了。
④ Thes schemes give you the chance to volunteer for a worthy cause, as well as to gain some valuable work experience. 这些策划使你有机会自愿为一项崇高的事业工作，同时又能获得一些宝贵的工作经验。
⑤ Working there over a stretch of time will both give me an impression and insight into the working world of nursing—knowledge to help me through university when I choose to go.
在那儿一段时间的工作会给我一种印象和了解护士这个行业的工作性质——这种了解在我选择了这个专业之后可以帮助我顺利地读完大学。
give sb. an insight into... 给某人……的洞察力
1. Th author did not take a gap year finall because.
A. he hated going abroad alone
B. his parents refused to support him
C. his friends were in favor of his plan
D. he had a part-time job at a local newspaper
2. According to the passage, what jobs can gap year companies provide?
A. Teaching English in the UK.
B. Working with children in a village.
C. Playing with wildlife in the zoo.
D. Building projects in the USA.
3. According to the lead tutor at Thoma Rotherham College, students should
A. save up some funds
B. get the benefi of gap year companies
C. make the most of the support by the school
D. change the career course afte spending time abroad
4. Why did the author mention Stephanie Wood in the 8th paragraph?
A. To show gap years aren’t necessarily all about travel.
B. To show his strong desire to be a mental health nurse.
C. To show the importance of taking a year of from education.
D. To illustrate the difference between jobs and dream career courses.
5. Will the author take a gap year later? Please fin out some clues in the passage. .
What will you choose to do while taking a gap year? Why? Exchange your ideas with your partners and write a short passage.