5 Productive Ways to Spend Your Gap Year

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Gap Year Goals: 5 Productive Ways to Spend Your Gap Year

Taking a year off between finishing high school and starting university can be a great way to prepare yourself for adult life, provided you make good use of your time. It’s not always easy, however, to know what putting your time to good use actually looks like. That’s why we’ve put together this list of five productive ways to spend your gap year so you can get planning for the next stage of your life:

Earn Money as a Tutor

Learning is an ongoing process, and if you find yourself disconnected from the education system, you may not have the motivation to go back, no matter how excited you are to build your career after finishing your degree. The good news is that recent high school graduates make wonderfully experienced VCE tutors, so you can stay engaged without actually having to study yourself. Best of all, you get to do this while also making some money along the way. 

Build a Savings Buffer

Speaking of making money, your gap year is a great time to build up a savings buffer to cover yourself against any unexpected costs that may arise when you head to university. The general recommendation for an emergency account is three to six months’ worth of your necessary living expenses, but the more you can build this buffer up, the better off you’ll be. 

This is particularly important for those going into university as your earning capacity will be greatly limited by the number of hours that you have to spend in class or studying. A little extra work now can make the next few years a whole lot more comfortable. 

Go Travelling

Travelling is a wonderful life experience, and it can also be a great way to find yourself. Once you’re out of university and building up your career, it can be hard to find the time to get away and explore new places and activities, so travelling during your gap year is strongly recommended. 

Focus on Self-Care and Growth

Speaking of finding yourself, this is probably the first time you’ll be out in the adult world on your own, so your gap year is the perfect time to focus on self care and growing as a person. This means something different to everyone, and in terms of value, there’s no difference between trekking through the wilderness or popping your preferred scent into an essential oil diffuser and reading a good book. 

The point of the process is to establish good habits around caring for yourself. Later in life, these self-care habits will help you avoid burnout. They’ll also enrich your life and teach you more about who you are as an independent adult. 

Learn to Cook

Finally, if you don’t know how to already, at least part of your gap year should be spent learning how to cook. Being able to look after yourself is more important than ever, and cooking is one of those basic life things we all need to be able to do at some level. 

So, while you’ve got the time, cooking classes are a solid investment. You’ll also want to ensure that you invest in a quality set of knives, the best ceramic cookware in Australia, and other helpful tools. That way, you can whip up delicious and nutritious meals that will feed your body, mind, and soul.

Wondering how to make your gap year count? Follow the tips in this article, and focus on improving your life in the ways that matter most to you over the next twelve months.