Gap year blogs
Personal stories - Tips and advice - Programme insights - Latest news
4 Things to Research in Advance to Stay Safe Abroad
By Brianne Sandorf It’s hard to get banned from Canada, but I know someone who did. He didn’t do anything illegal. But because he didn’t research Canadian laws and customs before visiting, he did some things at the border that the customs agents found suspicious. The...
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Last minute Christmas gift panic?
Last minute Christmas gift panic? Africa & Asia Venture (AV) have got you covered with their Gap Year Vouchers. If you are hoping to take a Gap Year or know someone who is, these vouchers make the perfect gift for Christmas. You can purchase AV vouchers in any...
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How to travel with only a backpack
How to Travel With Just a Backpack Travelling light, with nothing but your backpack, can be extremely liberating. When you travel light, you’re often able to go off the beaten path and find some hidden gems that you wouldn’t otherwise find. However, most of us are...
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How to prepare your finances for a gap year
Taking a gap year between secondary school and higher education offers a variety of valuable opportunities that promote personal growth and experiential education. Often, students schedule a gap year to travel, volunteer or create additional time to explore a degree...
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Letting inexperienced volunteers teach English abroad can be a good solution
Edited from an original article by Frank Seidel, with the author's permission. Frank Seidel has been involved in international volunteering since the early 90s and is the founder of the online portals for responsible volunteering, wegweiser-freiwilligenarbeit.com and...
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Say NO to riding elephants whilst on your gap year
Each year, millions of tourists come to Thailand seeking a chance to get up close and personal with Asian elephants in hope of getting as close as possible to these mesmerizing mammals; close enough to touch, take photos or enjoy the entertainment of a show. Their...
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Volunteer Travel: How to plan a meaningful trip and give back at the same time
BY JAKE PEARRING for Million Mile Secrets (edited by Year Out Group) Experiencing new cultures or cities with friends and loved ones is eye-opening, enriching, and challenging in ways that help develop our characters and help us grow as individuals. Though some people...
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Graduate Gap Opportunities in Africa & Asia
If the end of your degree is fast approaching then you are probably starting to think about what comes next. Will you rush straight into your first graduate job or will you choose to take a Graduate Gap Year? Did you dismiss the idea of a Gap Year because you didn’t...
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10 Year (GAP) Challenge
Africa & Asia Venture (AV): You might of seen lots of talk on facebook about the #10YearChallenge since the start of 2019. In fact it has become so popular that Facebook faced accusations that it was using the challenge to build an ageing algorithm. We saw some...
read more This summer could change your life
Will the summer of 2019 be the one that could change your life forever? It could be if you travel to Kenya on a summer work experience program with Africa & Asia Venture (AV). You might not have had the chance to take a full gap year but this is an opportunity to...
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How A Career Break Can Boost Your Productivity At Work
Around 50% of UK employees take a career break to escape the stressors of everyday life, so if you've hit a plateau and nothing appeals more than taking a meaningful break, it may be time to consider a sabbatical year. From working with children in Kenya to...
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3 Reasons Why a Gap Year is Great For Your Career
After spending over a decade working hard through your school years, it seems only fair that you take a little bit of a break before diving into college or a career. You’ve spent the majority of your life in classrooms up to this point and probably haven’t seen as...
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Pledge to stop placing volunteers in orphanages
Re-think Orphanages. The Pledge: Year Out Group members have stated their support for the following pledge which they will sign formally when they renew their membership for 2019. "Our organisation pledges that if we have not already done so, we will now inform our...
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How to be proactive on your gap year
Guest post: Alice Greedus, CV-Library Taking a gap year is the start of an exciting adventure. Whether you choose to spend it travelling the world, volunteering or working, there’s no doubt it will be a great learning experience. However, after 12 months of exploring,...
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25 years of volunteering with Africa & Asia Venture (AV)
Save £250/$250 off your Gap Year Flights with Africa & Asia Venture (AV) To celebrate 25 years of volunteering and adventure travel in Africa and Asia, our long standing Year Out Group members Africa & Asia Venture (AV) are offering £250/$250 towards your...
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Top 25 gap year destinations according to #instagram
Top 25 gap year travel destinations as researched by Alpha Travel Insurance Alpha Travel Insurance have looked into where people think is the ultimate gap year destination to make sure we aren’t missing out on those incredible sights and picture perfect spots....
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Taking a gap year or career break? Read this before you book!
So you are thinking of taking a year out before university, dreaming about going overseas during next summers university break or have decided to take a career break and finally go travelling overseas. Congratulations - it's going to be fantastic! It's easy to search...
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76 Tips for Safer Gap Year Travel
Travelling the world is a great way of discovering new cultures and becoming more independent. It is not without risk as you’ll need to learn on-the-go about how things work, how to communicate effectively and what rules you need to follow. We've teamed up with...
read more Facing anxiety while travelling abroad
About the Author: Andrei Milosevic is an international student, traveller, and writer. Over the past few years, he has been studying international business as well as providing advice and insight into international calling and communication. In his free time he kayaks...
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A gap year in times of uncertainty
There have been a few highs but some desperate lows over the past few years. Political turmoils, changes in the natural environment and deeply saddening events leading to the loss of life, have left everyone feeling somewhat uncertain about the future. For some, they...
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