I'm
off on holiday tomorrow.
Flying to Bilbao, then driving into France for
the first week. Back into Spain for the second.
It will be quite nostalgic. The last time I
travelled across the Spanish-French border I was
eighteen, in a "gap" year before
university.
I spent several months in Spain, learning
Spanish, working and then hitch-hiking. Great
fun, but I will encourage my children to take the
train! Especially as when I tried to hitch across
the border I arrived on a public holiday, and
spent two days holed up in the border town of
Hendaya, with no money.
I was also reminded of those halcyon days by my
cousin. She has just got her A-level results and
decided to take a "gap" year. I haven't
dissuaded her.
If you're fortunate enough to be able to go to
university, it may seem odd to some to delay a
year. But it can make a positive difference to
your future career - and be fun.
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For a
start, travelling and working can show you sides
of life you might never otherwise see. My time
working on production lines at Pork Farms,
Nottingham making pork pies and hand-rolling
scotch eggs is etched on my memory.
Then there's the benefits of taking a break from
studies. You might think this strange, but I
enjoyed studying far more at University than ever
before. May be because I could appreciate the
value of learning a little more.
Unfortunately, there's a practical reason too.
Since a lot of my travels involved "working
holidays", I managed to save money. Helpful,
as university was not a cheap option in the
mid-1980s. With today's tuition fees and
with the latest threat of top-up fees as well, I
fear that tomorrow's students will be graduating
with large loans round their necks. Not all will
get golden "hellos" from employers.
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