For those getting A Level results, we wish you all the very best of luck. It’s a stressful time for many pupils and parents alike, school leavers are put under immense pressure and are constantly reminded of what a hard world it is going to be for them; competitive jobs market, high cost of living, more debt, etc. Hardly morale building stuff.
The advice I hear “career advisors” give their pupils at schools is actually quite scary. Generally being encouraged to remain in the academic system going straight to Uni, whether it will suit them or not and more often than not it is in the schools interests to do so as it will reflect well on the leaderboard table.
The pressures of knowing what you want to do with your life, whilst still in your teen years is pretty hardcore and whilst there is a place for traditional University education, now might not be the right time for you. A gap year and time spent travelling the world enriches life in a way that supplements and enhances all class room education.
Young people need to be encouraged to get out into the world, have real life experiences, try new things, visit new cultures, have fun, make mistakes on their own and how they can recover, make a plan on their own, get a better feeling for their place in the world and their own idea about the path they might choose in life.
”Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be lived”.
A gap year is a perfect opportunity for this. Spend it how you want, but young people should be encouraged to get out there. Whilst I kind of created my own ‘Gap Period’ a bit later on in life after spending a few years in a formal industry, many others I know and countless others who have joined us on our Gap Year surf programs in South Africa and Sri Lanka have used the experience gained to better their lives and actually found more focus on where they want to be heading after the Gap Year.
There’s some great examples here of how three different paths taken and lives created, all of which started with a Ticket to Ride Gap Year experience and a good read here on how a Gap Year can boost your credentials with regards to applying for Uni / jobs in the future.
So again, the best of luck to you all on A-Level results day and no matter how you did, it’s a big old world out there and there’s still a long way to go!
Enjoy the ride…
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Notes
For those who are interested in pursuing Gap Year options we’ve been providing exciting, vocational courses in surfing, skiing and snowboarding for 15 years and creating job opportunities in the industries for many thereafter. For graduates completing the following courses we offer employment opportunities working in Cornwall, UK, the following Spring / Summer season.
Surf Course, with instructor qualification and Community Projects in South Africa
ISA Level 1 Surf Instructor Course & Adventure in Sri Lanka
If anyone would like to contact me directly, I would be very happy to hear from you:
Max Hepworth-Povey
e: [email protected]
w: +94 77 951 8926