So are you freshly out of high school? Or doing your ' A' levels. Young people with rosy dreams, you are full of vim vigor and vitality, bubbling with energy, enough to conquer the world! The rigorous routine of18 years or more, is far behind you now, and the road of life stretches ahead bright and sunny.

Are you planning to enroll yourself in university course, and work towards a graduate degree? Or do you wish to see the world and get high on life before going back to academics? Not a bad idea actually, considering that there is so much to do, so many things to enjoy, experience and learn.

Want to find out more?

The period of transition between high school and a degree course is generally termed as gap year.

Looking back, records show that "Gap Year" had its origins in Europe during the 1990's. It actually began when the most reputed of British

Universities made it mandatory for students to take entrance exams in the fall, which implied the students would be able to join the new session

Sometime during the forthcoming year. The result was that students had quite a few months free on their hands, while they waited for classes to begin. Consequently many of the prospective students tried to make the most of their free time by traveling around the world, working as volunteers for a noble, humanitarian cause, or even taking up full or part time job assignments. .

During this period, you can do a lot of things, right from doing some useful course abroad, undertaking a full or part-time assignment, hone your skills, take part in conservation, join HIV/AIDS campaigns or other kind of social work as a volunteer.

At this critical period, parents must guide their kids and convince them that this time is not meant for wasting away on trifles .On the contrary they must focus on certain issues which will pay them rich dividends in later life.

Before you gear up for enjoying a gap year, there are certain modalities which need to be worked out to make your undertaking successful.

Make most from your Gap Year
The students who take a well-planned structured year out are end up satisfied with, and duly complete, their chosen course. The benefits of a well-structured gap year out are now widely recognized by universities and colleges. Whatever you choose to do an expedition, travelling, or learning a new skill, the benefits will be enormous. Your confidence will grow, you become independent; develop personal skills and knowledge, which will help you to cope on your own at university or college. Remember the key to having a successful gap year is to plan it well. Doing voluntary work overseas is one of the most rewarding ways of spending your gap year. It is a chance to merge yourself in a different culture and to get a completely new perspective on life. However you will need to save up some money for your undertakings. The value of a gap year is that it is a life changing experience. It teaches you life skills and shows you how to be a leader, how to communicate effectively. The young people work as part of a team and they get a good preparation for later life. It helps to bridge the gap between a school lifestyle and a more adult lifestyle. A gap year is a unique chance to broaden your experience. It can add a significant dimension to your CV as help in influencing a potential employer after you finish university or college. So each one must seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to broaden their horizons.

Earn college credit on tour
There are many summer programs to pick and choose from. Students may choose an adventure that lasts a week or maybe the entire summer. They may opt for programs that focus on everything from academics and language enrichment to outdoor adventures e.g camping, rock climbing, skiing, and canoeing. They may even take a travel program devoted to sightseeing and daily excursions. Because short-term summer programs vary greatly, it is important to choose carefully.

If you're looking to gain academic enrichment, you need to check with your high school advisers before embarking on the gap year. With a short-term summer abroad there is no worry about missing credits. On the contrary students earn extra credits. They should speak to their high school administrators about gaining credit for language study if they are not staying in an English-speaking country.

A summer excursion can be compared to a honeymoon. You do not stay long enough to fight with friends / host families. Yet you get a taste of what everyday life is like. This short experience is planned in such a ways that everyday is a wonderful adventure- new cuisine, new friends, and traveling.

The academic year program is the ultimate experience in studying abroad. You are involved daily in another culture. Students experience holidays, school, friends, family, and their day-to-day life all from the perspective of their host country. It's a good idea to begin building up to this experience by first getting a short-term adventure abroad. In case you are not quite ready to handle a full academic year abroad, this is an opportunity to grow and mature into the experience.

Summer programs offer students an opportunity to earn credit in a short period of time and reach graduation day more quickly. Many students also enjoy the intensive learning experience.

Here is how:

Use summer classes to catch up on college credits instead of overloading on classes during the regular semester. Spacing the workload out will be easier.

Use summer school as an opportunity to get into popular classes that are difficult to join during the semester. Summer school may be the only time for you to take certain classes outside your major that fill up with majors during the semester.

Take advantages of the small class size. At large universities, courses that are offered in lecture halls during the regular semester, may be offered as small classes during the summer.

So, fr the price of a good summer camp, the high school students get an opportunity to broaden their horizons and accomplish something productive. Universities and potential job employers favor student with some international experience. Thus you come back armed with new knowledge and appreciation of your world.