I have just completed my final year and have decided a year out would be a great opportunity. Some friends have advised going through a company who organise everything for you, others have said they are over priced and I'd be better mixing voluntary work and travelling and just organising the different elements myself. Has anyone had similar issues with regards a gap year and can recommend good avenues to pursue..

Hi Chris, I am one year ahead of yourself, graduating in July 2008 and decided to take a "Gap 6 Months", owing to my time and money. I volunteered with Global Vision International (GVI) in Ecuador before traveling further in South America for 4 months. I will try to write objectively here, as I now work for GVI! However, I think that my positive experiences with the company encouraged me to pursue a career with the company and in volunteer travel, and as such I now live and work in Guatemala. In terms of your thought to mix volunteer work and travel, I found it a very useful addition to my CV to show that you are not just traveling/backpacking (which I think sometimes can be viewed as a glorified holiday!), but being proactive and willing to put in a bit of hard work while you are away. It is this kind of entry on a CV that might give you the all important leg up when it comes to the dreaded job hunt! To give you a start, the GVI website can be found at http://www.gvi.co.uk, which will maybe start the mind working as to what you could maybe do with your Gap Year and the kind of opportunities that are out there. If you have anymore questions that arise, then by all means throw it down on here, and I will do my best to help you out! Stuart

When I went away Chris i went by myself and armed with my lonely planet thought i could take on the world but ended up with little direction or organisation to my travel. I just kind of followed others around and went to places off the backs of peoples stories. I had a great time but didnt do many meaningful things! Depends on what kind of trip your looking for really. The organised trips will have lots of structure and you will no what your doing day in day out

Hi Chris, I think this site would be a good place for you to start www.i-to-i.com. They organise both volunteering trips and gap year travel, but also TEFL(Teaching English as a Foreign Language) courses, which I'm not sure you have considered but may be a good option for you to look into. For background research try here www.working-abroad.com. I think it's something that you really need to think about and plan properly rather than just rushing into it- it should be a trip of a lifetime afterall! But one that you can justify on your CV for future employers, so try to think about the type of career you may wish to persue and how the skills that you get from volunteering, teaching English abroad, or general travelling will look to them. For example from TEFL you will take away skills of adaptability, flexibility, presentation skills etc, general travelling- ability to think (and work) for yourself, confidence etc and volunteering- adaptability, happy to get stuck in ethos, good at working in a team etc. I've just taken a TEFL course with them myself and found it brilliant; the tutor made me realise I was making the right choice and I'm now looking forward to going abroad and seeing the world, but it is all about what is right for you so get your thinking cap on! Good luck with you decision making and have fun with your travels!!

Hi Chris. I had the same quandry myself, whether to go off on my own back, so to speak, or go with a company. I ended up going for the company approach (http://www.aventure.co.uk) as it all looked a bit too much to organise on my own. It wasn't the cheapest option, no, but at least everything was arranged for me. There's a good guide on the bbc website too - http://www.bbc.co.uk/switch/surgery/advice/your_world/work_future/gap_year_is_it_for_you/ - check it out, lots of great info. Best of luck with your gap year adventure!