• Organizations exist for every type of gap year experience, from cultural immersion through volunteering, wilderness travel, certification courses, and leadership development. Their programs may be a few weeks or an entire year to fit yourneeds.
• Keep in mind that this is a rapidly expanding market, so do your research to ensure that any program you choose has been around for a while and knows what they are doing.

Programs are designed to provide meaningful experiences, build your resume, and even sometimes earn college credit. The good ones will also have community and government connections developed through years of operation which will provide opportunities that may not be open to independent individuals. Programs will also assist with logistics and travel, which can be quite complicated.

There will be less freedom. Many programs will require that you agree to certain codes of conduct. So if you have visions of going wild during your gap experience, think again. There’s also the cost to consider. Most programs provide a lot, so they charge a lot. Be sure it’s in your budget.

• Winging it is a possibility, but only if you are willing to take the bull by the horns.

• Nobody is going to check that you have the proper travel documents and vaccinations. Nobody is going to award you college credit, or provide an introduction to your volunteer organization, or give you a crash course on survival Swahili. Nope, that’s all up to you.

Freedom and flexibility. Don’t like working in a specific place? Move on.  Oh, and you won’t be paying anyone to set stuff up for you. Doing some unstructured travel, such as backpacking or finding a freelance job or working full-time or part-time are great options.

Complication. You are going to have to arrange for every detail of your experience, from travel to housing to work to food. Are you ready for that?