There are many ways to spend your gap year that will reward you later

‘Gap years can be an essential way for young people to save money to help fund their lives while they study. This is especially important for regional and rural students’ Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images

Let’s play a quick word association game, where I say a word and you reply with the first word that comes into your mind. My word is “gap year” (OK, that’s two words). Was your response word “travel”?

As my son prepares to take a gap year (and my daughter finishes first-year university after taking a year’s break), I’m realising just how strongly gap years are associated with travel. Yet, for many school leavers contemplating a year away from study, travel is either well down the list of options, only a small part of their next 12 to 15 months, or not on the agenda at all.