Get the Benefits of a Gap year Without a ‘Gap’

The idea of a ‘gap year’ – taking a year between leaving high school and starting a degree – has been around for a long time, but at the International College of Management, Sydney (ICMS) there is a way to get the benefits of travel and work experience without having to delay your studies.

A gap year may seem like the ultimate 12 month stretch of being independent, earning money and taking a break from studying. In your gap year the idea is to see new places, meet new people and experience new things.

A gap year is all that, but the reality is that planning a gap year takes a lot of paperwork, effort and expense. Jobs for unskilled students are often minimum wage and independence can be tough at a young age.

A break from studying may seem like bliss when you have just done your HSC, but a break from studying could also upset your academic rhythm and make it harder to get back into studying by the time your enrolment into a degree rolls around. And you’ll be a year older than your high school mates when heading into the job market.

ICMS, an award-winning higher education institution with nine gorgeous beaches within walking distance of campus, is ideal for students who would like to travel and study at the same time. The college offers study abroad and exchange programs so you can study part of your course overseas.

Some students start their studies in trimester one and take trimester two off to go to Europe in the European summer. This gives you the opportunity to travel five months of the year.

There is also the option of doing your industry training abroad. Industry training is worked into every degree and course offered at ICMS as a way of giving students a head start in the industry they choose to pursue a career in. If you do your industry training overseas, it still counts towards your credits, and you will have spent up to nine months living in a foreign country.

ICMS is also a great option if you haven’t quite made up your mind about what you want to study. ICMS courses offer plenty of leeway, allowing you to start your studies with as little as one subject a trimester to get the ball rolling. The flexible academic structure of ICMS courses also allows you to change your course during the first year without wasting any time doing extra subjects. For example, you can start in the direction of business management studies and move to a Bachelor of Events Management with ease.

For information on ICMS Study Abroad programs, go to https://www.icms.edu.au/courses/study-programs/study-abroad-program/study-abroad-exchange-programs-internationals