Our solutions Gap years

EDUCOM's services and recommendations are free. They are designed to help you plan your child's gap year constructively and efficiently to prepare them as best as possible for the rest of their educational career.

There are many advantages to a gap year: students gain in maturity, improve their English so they can study abroad, refine their choice of studies, discover the professional world, or take part in a humanitarian project.

Here are some ideas for filling a gap year constructively :

Language courses : going abroad on a study holiday helps a student perfect their knowledge of a language and / or take a certificate. In fact, students sometimes need to have a certain language level to be admitted to university courses abroad. It is also possible to learn several languages in combination! Depending on the student’s level and goals, it will be necessary to validate the number of weeks of lessons needed to undertake their project. Some destinations also offer the opportunity to combine language courses followed by an internship in a company (work and study).

Foundation years : a foundation year is a year of preparatory study (year 0) for students to acquire the basics in a chosen field. It is also a way to explore several different subjects when a student is still unsure about two career paths. In addition to the academic classes, the student is given English lessons and study skills to help them at university. For students interested in artistic career paths, the foundation year is often a prerequisite for developing the portfolio required for a bachelor's degree.
Combine 2 programmes, an accelerated foundation and a language course : there are “accelerated” foundations that last 6 months. This means that a student can occupy the rest of their year studying a language (or on another project).
Humanitarian projects : undertaking a mission of general interest in a non-profit organisation. The humanitarian project combines very well with the language course.

We provided them with our support

Je tenais à vous remercier pour tout votre travail et vos conseils. Tristan part dans deux semaines pour une année enrichissante et bénéfique pour son futur. Nous en sommes très reconnaissant !! Et lui aussi. Merci pour tout.

Bastien M.
Paris, France

Gap years

Je tenais à vous remercie pour tout le travail effectué pour Sacha. J’ai retrouvé la motivation et l’envie que je lui connaissais auparavant. Vous avez été un point incontournable dans le nouveau cap qu’il entreprend. La perspective de cette Foundation, les futures portes qui s’ouvrent à lui… c’est inestimable. Et grâce à vous. Je vous en remercie.

Corinne B.
Genève, Suisse

Gap years

Je viens d’arriver à Oxford, la ville est superbe.

Un rapide message pour vous remercier de m’avoir aidé à planifier mon année. Sans vous, je serais encore à la maison… Quelle chance de vous avoir à mes côtés et merci pour tous vos conseils.

Je vous donnerai des nouvelles depuis Berlin !

Stéphanie C.
Aix en Provence, France

Gap years

Ma fille est bien installée à Toronto et ses cours ont commencé depuis quelques jours. Elle est enchantée !

Je tenais à vous remercier pour votre écoute et et professionnalisme tout au long de ces mois de préparation. Amélie s’apprête à passer une année inoubliable !

Amélie M.
Gingins, Suisse

Gap years

See all our testimonials

Any questions ?

How far in advance should a gap year be planned ?

The gap year is an opportunity to undertake numerous projects – but you still need to be properly prepared! With the various decisions to be taken, many choices to be made and the organisation, it is easy to feel overwhelmed.

We recommend taking a minimum of 6 months to prepare for your gap year. This is the time needed to put a quality project together while ensuring you have the choice of available options.

For a long-term language course, you should remember that student residences have a limited number of rooms available, and that these are often in great demand. If a student has made up their mind about a specific choice of city, their room in the residence should be reserved several months in advance.

Can I combine several projects during a gap year ?

The gap year is a unique opportunity to carry out one project or combine several.

Here are some ideas for filling your gap year constructively :

Language courses : going abroad on a study holiday helps a student perfect their knowledge of a language and / or take a certificate. In fact, sometimes a student needs to have a certain language level to access university courses abroad. It is also possible to learn several languages! Depending on the student’s level and goals, you will need to check the number of weeks of lessons needed to undertake their project. Some establishments also offer the opportunity to combine language courses followed by an internship in a company (work and study).
Foundation years : a foundation year is a year of preparatory study (year 0) during which the student can learn the fundamentals of their chosen field. It is also a way of exploring several subjects when a student is still unsure which of two career paths to take. In addition to the academic classes, students take English lessons and university study skills. For students interested in art, the foundation year is often a prerequisite for putting together the portfolio needed to be admitted to a bachelor’s degree.
Accelerated foundations and language courses : there are “accelerated” foundations that last 6 months. This means that a student can occupy the rest of their year studying a language (or with a different project).
Humanitarian projects : carrying out a general interest mission in a non-profit organisation. The humanitarian project combines very well with the language study holiday.

What is the purpose of a foundation year ?

A foundation year gives a student the chance to understand their area of interest before moving on to the full three-year programme that leads to a bachelor’s degree. In addition to learning the subject, a student will get used to the university context and acquire the skills needed for higher-level studies.

A foundation year may be suitable in several cases :

For a student without a school qualification but who still would like to access university studies.
For a student who finished school at a very early age and who needs to gain in maturity prior to going on to higher education.
For a student who wants to study in England but does not yet have the level of English to cope with university.
For a student who wants to do an art course but who does not yet have a portfolio.

The number of universities in England with the option of doing a foundation year is growing every year.

We are at your disposal to guide you and find the foundation course that is best suited to your child.

Planning an efficient gap year to prepare for the next steps.

Our solutions Gap years

We provided them with our support

Any questions ?

Get in touch with us

ABOUT US

SOLUTIONS

OTHER