What is it?It's a year out between finishing school and starting university in which you can travel, work and generally do mind-broadening stuff you'll never forget. Gap year factoid In 2004, over 30,000 applicants to the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) deferred entry for a year.

Working in the UKIf you’re not working to raise money for gap-year travel and you’ve just finished school or university you might want a break from study and to take a deep breath or two for a while. But even though work doesn’t seem

The skills most modern offices need are based on IT, so here is some advice on training and a list of colleges that run short courses in basic computer and office skills. These skills will always come in useful and you can make good money working as an office temp.

In February 2008 we had a look at Africa, highlighting the conflict zones and also the large areas of the continent that are OK for gap-travel:http://www.gap-year.com/browse.asp?catID=1529&sNode=1529&Exp=Y#1529We found that most of the instability is confined to a block stretching from Sudan and Ethiopia in the north,

BoliviaIn October last year, we reported on how President Hugo Morales’ plans for land redistribution have seen an escalation in tension between landowners and indigenous farmers, leading to violent protests in the first half of September in which 18 people died.

In April this year, gappers James Thysse and Jamie Facer-Childs, both aged 21, will become the youngest ever duo to compete in an ocean rowing race.What’s more, they’ll be taking part in the first ever rowing race across the Indian Ocean –

It’s been a volatile year in South and South East Asia – particularly Burma, Thailand, China and India.China had a year of extremes, with a devastating earthquake killing an estimated 10,000-plus people in Sichuan Province in May. Then, the spectacle of the Olympic Games in August,