The key to a successful gap year is to research and plan the time in as much detail as possible.  This is the message that comes through loud and clear from Gap Years – The Essential Guide by Emma Jayne Jones.

Gap Years - The Essential Guide by Emma Jayne Jones

Emma Jayne writes from experience.  She has visited over forty countries and has tried her hand at volunteering in South America, working on a cruise ship, driving across the USA and hitchhiking in Morocco.  On each occasion she has returned safe and sound, which she no doubt attributes to the time she devoted to researching and planning each adventure.

The book starts soundly by considering the Practicalities, which asks basic questions to set the potential gap year traveller thinking along the right lines.  Questions such as: Are you ready?  How do you plan an itinerary?  Who will you travel with?  What should you pack?  For each question there is a paragraph of sound common sense advice that will be particularly valuable to the first time traveller.

Useful chapters on specific activities such as volunteering, studying and working abroad are followed by chapters on the key areas of Health & Safety and Money.  Seasoned travellers will have their own views on essentials in these areas and might have found room to mention dressing to blend with surroundings, not just identifying but booking your first night’s accommodation in advance and being very careful with alcohol.  Emma Jayne then devotes a chapter to each continent and wisely keeps them short acknowledging that the traveller has the choice of a multitude of travel guides.

Re-adjusting to life back home after an extended period away is not easy yet it is an area often overlooked in gap year guide books.  Emma Jayne covers the topic in some detail.  In doing so she acknowledges that a gap year can throw up life changing experiences.  It takes time to consider these experiences and to be in a position to act on them to advantage when arriving at university, writing a CV or preparing for a job interview.  It rounds the book off nicely and should help ensure that readers gain maximum benefit from their gap year.

Gap Years – The Essential Guide lives up to its title.  Anybody planning a gap year or advising people on gap years would benefit from reading this book.  Space should be made for it in every sixth form and careers library.  It is a valuable research and planning resource but a more detailed regional or country travel guide will probably win the competition for space in the backpack.

Gap Years – The Essential Guide (ISBN 978-1-86144-079-2) costs £8.99 and can be bought directly from Forward Press Ltd by phoning 01733 898103, emailing sales@n2kbooks.com, or through our website www.need2knowbooks.co.uk.  It can also be bought through Amazon or all good bookshops.