Year Out Group Blog

Malaria is a serious, sometimes fatal, tropical disease spread by mosquito bites.  Anyone on a gap year going to a malaria region is at risk.  Each year around 1,500 travellers are diagnosed with malaria and between five and fifteen of them die of malaria.  Some of these were gap year travellers who for whatever reason did not think it would happen to them.

Where is malaria found?

Malaria is found in over 100 countries covering much of Africa, Asia, Central and South America including the Dominican Republic and parts of the Middle East, Far East and some Pacific Ocean Islands.  These include many countries that attract offer a wide range of gap year programs.  When planning where to travel on your gap year make sure to find out if malaria occurs in the country(s) you plan to visit.

How can I catch malaria?

Malaria is caught through bites from infected mosquitoes.  These mosquitoes usually bite between dusk and dawn.  There are five different types of the Plasmodium parasites that cause malaria.  All can result in a serious illness but the most dangerous is Falciparum malaria.

How can I prevent malaria?

Best follow the ABCD of malaria prevention:

Awareness of risk – findout if your trip will take you to a malaria risk area.  Visit www.nathnac.org/ds/map_world.aspx.  If it is in a malaria risk area then visit your GP or travel clinic well before you depart and straightaway if you travelling sooner.

Bites – Avoid them

• Apply insect repellent frequently.  This should contain at least 20% DEET and preferably 30% DEET to give up to 6 hours of protection.  Anything above 50% DEET is a waste as natural sweat in the tropical climate will negate the extra strength.
• Wear long-sleeved shirts and long trousers.
• If you are not in enclosed air conditioned accommodation then sleep under an intact mosquito net.  You can buy nets pre-dipped in insecticide.

Check – if you need malaria prevention tablets.  If you do make sure you take the correct tablets as recommended (daily or weekly and finish the course. You can expect to start taking the tablets before you depart and to continue for some time after your return.

Diagnosis- see a doctor immediately if you have any symptoms (often fever) either while abroad or for a year after your return.  Tell the doctor you have been in a malaria risk area.

What are the symptoms?

• Fever (high temperature), muscle aches, chills and sweating.
• Cough, headache and diarrhoea.
• Seizures (fits) and loss of consciousness with severe illness from Falciparum malaria.

Malaria symptoms can appear as soon as 7 days after arriving in a risk area and as long as a year (sometimes longer) after being bitten.

Malaria is a medical emergency.  If you have any symptoms (usually fever) either while you are away or once you return home don’t hesitate – you must get immediate medical help.  This is important, even if you took the right malaria tablets, tried to avoid getting bitten and have been back in the UK for a while.

An urgent malaria test must be arranged by your GP, Accident & Emergency doctor or Tropical/Infectious Diseases clinic.  The blood test can be checked and if any malaria parasites are found immediate treatment can start the same day.

The Risk

Tens of thousands of gap year participants have travelled to malaria affected regions, have taken the precautions and returned without catching malaria.  A small minority have taken all the precautions and still caught malaria – it happens.  You can greatly reduce the chance of catching malaria if:

• You make yourself fully aware of the risk.
• You visit your GP or travel clinic before departure and find out which malaria tablets are right for your destination.  You must then take the tablets as prescribed starting before you depart and continuing until the course ends after your return.
• If you get a fever and are in or have been in a malaria risk area then assume it could be malaria rather than flu.  No one will think badly of you if it turns out to be flu.  Better to be safe.  So..
• Seek help.  Don’t delay seeing a doctor or starting treatment.

Treatment

Malaria can be treated especially if the correct treatment is given immediately.  It can be a serious illness with risk of disability and death so you will probably be admitted to hospital and given drugs directly into a vein via a drip.  The chances are that you will make a full recovery though it can take some time to get back to normal.

PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE – TAKE MALARIA SERIOUSLY

Reference:  http://www.nathnac.org/travel/factsheets/malaria.htm August 2010

The key to a successful gap year is to research and plan the time in as much detail as possible.  This is the message that comes through loud and clear from Gap Years – The Essential Guide by Emma Jayne Jones.

Gap Years - The Essential Guide by Emma Jayne Jones

Emma Jayne writes from experience.  She has visited over forty countries and has tried her hand at volunteering in South America, working on a cruise ship, driving across the USA and hitchhiking in Morocco.  On each occasion she has returned safe and sound, which she no doubt attributes to the time she devoted to researching and planning each adventure.

The book starts soundly by considering the Practicalities, which asks basic questions to set the potential gap year traveller thinking along the right lines.  Questions such as: Are you ready?  How do you plan an itinerary?  Who will you travel with?  What should you pack?  For each question there is a paragraph of sound common sense advice that will be particularly valuable to the first time traveller.

Useful chapters on specific activities such as volunteering, studying and working abroad are followed by chapters on the key areas of Health & Safety and Money.  Seasoned travellers will have their own views on essentials in these areas and might have found room to mention dressing to blend with surroundings, not just identifying but booking your first night’s accommodation in advance and being very careful with alcohol.  Emma Jayne then devotes a chapter to each continent and wisely keeps them short acknowledging that the traveller has the choice of a multitude of travel guides.

Re-adjusting to life back home after an extended period away is not easy yet it is an area often overlooked in gap year guide books.  Emma Jayne covers the topic in some detail.  In doing so she acknowledges that a gap year can throw up life changing experiences.  It takes time to consider these experiences and to be in a position to act on them to advantage when arriving at university, writing a CV or preparing for a job interview.  It rounds the book off nicely and should help ensure that readers gain maximum benefit from their gap year.

Gap Years – The Essential Guide lives up to its title.  Anybody planning a gap year or advising people on gap years would benefit from reading this book.  Space should be made for it in every sixth form and careers library.  It is a valuable research and planning resource but a more detailed regional or country travel guide will probably win the competition for space in the backpack.

Gap Years – The Essential Guide (ISBN 978-1-86144-079-2) costs £8.99 and can be bought directly from Forward Press Ltd by phoning 01733 898103, emailing sales@n2kbooks.com, or through our website www.need2knowbooks.co.uk.  It can also be bought through Amazon or all good bookshops.

In the best of years the autumn is an anxious period for the parents of those taking a gap year. But this year their number will be swelled significantly by those students taking a gap year unexpectedly. Some years ago, when faced with a similar situation, the following thoughts came to mind: What can he do? Where? What about the finance? If he goes abroad how will we keep in touch? Is it safe and what are the benefits?

Research and Planning. The secret to a successful gap year is to research and plan in as much detail as possible even when starting the process late. There is a whole year to fill and it is important that this time is not wasted. A gap year should be a “year out” not a “year off”! It is best not to rush the selection of a suitable and worthwhile project and it takes time to raise the necessary finance. So the first few months, say between now and the New Year can be used to retake exams, reapply for university, plan the program for next year and earn or raise the necessary funds.

What activities are available and where?

The range of activities available is considerable. The main groups are courses, i.e. learning a new skill or improving an existing one, adventurous activities and expeditions, voluntary work and work experience. Some of these activities can be done in UK but most gap year students are keen to go abroad. Having an element of structure in the program is important. It shows planning and commitment that is acknowledged by universities and helps develop the soft skills that impress employers.

A gap year program is unique to the individual participant so it is important that they should lead on the research. It is best to shop around and take time to talk to gap year organizations, family and friends, use the internet and networking sites in order to get a real feel for the organizations and the placements they offer. However the final decision should be an informed decision shared with parents and this means that parents should take an active, albeit discreet interest in this research offering support and asking pertinent questions when appropriate. For their part gap year organisations welcome contact with parents as they appreciate their importance in the decision making process.

Money

Costs. The cost of gap year programs varies considerably, hence the need to shop around before drawing up a comparative list that takes account of all costs associated with a number of placements. Finally work out the cost per week. Some of the longer placements then look significantly more attractive. Once you are there, living overseas is often so much cheaper than UK.

Fundraising. Raising the money to fund a gap year program is considered an important part of the challenge. It requires planning, budgeting, entrepreneurial, and negotiating skills combined with initiative, determination and perseverance (all skills much sought after by employers). While gap year organizations will provide advice, parents may still think this beyond their offspring but hundreds of thousands have been shown it can be done. Give them support and encouragement and let them surprise you. The more money they raise, the greater their confidence and their commitment to the project.

Overseas. When researching finance do consider how best to safeguard cash while overseas. Most people now seem to travel with both debit and credit cards and have access to an online account so that they can move money around as required. Travel cards are useful but can be expensive. Inevitably some cards will be lost and arrange a replacement can be difficult. Parents need to be able to help and this is best done by the child authorising their parents to access their accounts on their behalf while overseas. This will save time, money (moneygrams and money transfers are expensive) and a great deal of anguish and frustration.

Communication

A gap year offers each individual an opportunity to start making the step from dependence to independence with a program and at a pace of their own choosing. It is a time when parents must begin to come to terms with allowing these young adults to make their own decisions and live by the consequences. However there is still a key supporting role to play. As far as communication goes, parents should come to an agreement that they will rely on the gap year traveler to keep in touch. The main form of routine communication is likely to be via e-mail, though it may be through blogs or postings on networking sites. A mobile phone is more or less essential nowadays but costly. The main use for this phone will be to keep in touch with fellow gappers they meet on their travels, so the early purchase of a local SIM card will keep costs down. It may also mean a change in number allowing the gapper to decide who he really wants to hear from while overseas. Homesickness may be an issue for those that are away from home for the first time. Parents need to be reassuring, supportive but strong. It will pass and within a few days they will have found their feet, made friends and be fully engaged in their projects.

Safety

Gap Year Organizations. One of the major advantages of starting a gap year abroad with a reputable gap year organization is that it will have conducted a full risk assessment when planning a particular project, expedition or placement. Safety is taken very seriously but no gap year placement can be entirely risk free. On the rare occasions when things do go wrong a reputable gap year organizations will be there to provide the necessary support.

Independent travel. However nearly all gap year placements involve a period of down time when participants are free to leave their projects and explore. Many will also go on to travel independently on completion of their placement. The basic research for these opportunities is best done before in the planning phase. The gap year organization will provide useful information on the country but this should be supplemented by studying the excellent up to date information provided by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office and studying at least one of the major travel guides. The more the traveler is aware of the potential risks the more likely they are to recognize a situation as it develops and act appropriately.

Insurance and Health. For peace of mind do make sure that you take the travel insurance policy covers all the activities that might present themselves.  Allow plenty of time before departure for any innoculations to become effective and make sure that the traveler is dentally fit.

Benefits

Risk needs to be balanced by considering the benefits of taking a structured gap year. Students who have taken a gap year arrive at university refreshed, focussed and are more likely to complete their chosen subject. Some may take time to get back into academic mindset but being more socially mature the quickly adapt to the wider benefits of university life. Employers find that those that have taken a structured gap year are able to demonstrate that they have the skills they seek. In a recent paper on Higher Education, Marjorie Scardino, chief executive of Pearson plc, stated she was looking for people with communication skills, the courage to challenge and take risks including project experience and overcoming failure, the ability to follow through from ideas to plans and onto implementation and finally having languages and being at home in diverse cultures. All these attributes can be acquired and developed on a gap year.

Those returning from a structured gap year are invariably more appreciative of home life, more globally aware and worldly wise, more independent and full of justified self-confidence.  They will certainly be better prepared to tackle university and future employment.  Some may find it a life-changing experience, which will present parents with a new and hopefully exciting challenge.

Swine flu broke out in Mexico earlier this year.  Within a few weeks it had spread to over thirty countries and the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared a pandemic.  In July swine flu was seldom off  the front pages of the newspapers as the number of cases soared.  But last week the number of new cases in England dropped to 25,000 down from 100,000 cases in the last week of July.  However there is every expectation that numbers will rise again in the autumn and may well stay high for many months thereafter. So just because swine flu is out of sight, do not let it be out of your thoughts.

The WHO’s advice is that national borders should remain open throughout the duration of the pandemic and so far countries are abiding by this advice and there are no specific restrictions on travel as a result of swine flu.  But your gap year plans might well be affected should you contract swine flu.

There is a helpful page on swine flu in the Planning section of this website.  In simple terms if you go down with swine flu more than ten days before you are due to depart then you should have recovered in time to travel.  If you contract the virus close to your date of departure then you
should delay your travel.  This is where your travel insurance comes in. You should inform your insurance company, who will require you to obtain a certificate from your doctor stating that you are unfit to travel because you have an Influenza Like Illness (ILI).  The insurance company should then cover any additional charges that may arise as you reschedule your flights etc.

If you suddenly go down with flu on your way to the departure airport then the airline could stop you flying but only after you have been assessed by a doctor.  If you are found to have an ILI then you will be issued with a certificate which your insurance company will require.  It may be that your flu symptoms emerge while you are in the air.  Some countries are checking all passengers for high temperature on arrival and if you have such a temperature you may be taken into quarantine.  If you are being met by your gap year organisation then they should be able to help you contact your insurance company who will advise you on medical treatment.  Your insurance company will also need to know if you contact an ILI while on you gap year placement.

The message is to take out travel insurance at the same time as you book the first element of your gap year program. Check the small print to ensure that you will be covered should you go down with swine flu at a time when it will either affect your travel plans or your placement.  If it is not clear, ask.

Insurance is always important but swine flu adds an extra element of unpredictability that could mean unnecessary additional expense to your gap year plans if you do not have the right cover.

A gap year is a unique opportunity for an individual to develop a program of activities that meets their personal requirements as part of a career or educational plan.  Year Out Group’s website is designed to offer advice on how best to research and plan a gap year program.  Much of this advice is enduring and requires only minor amendment year on year.  At the same time some of the issues that will affect an individual’s gap year plans are dynamic so the main theme of this blog will be to offer some topical comment in order to enhance the core advice in the website.  There will also be opportunities to comment on the benefits of taking a structured gap year and many other associated topics.

The scope is broad as there are so many aspects involved in researching, planning, implementing and reviewing a gap year program.  The range of activities offered seems to expand year on year while local, national and international events and the whims of travellers sees destinations rise and
fall in popularity.

The revamp of Year Out Group’s website has provided the opportunity to introduce this blog. Hopefully there will be sufficient issues to inspire some helpful posts on a regular basis.