so far, i've been trodding down a well beaten path of graduates going into uni after school and now, work right after uni, that it is almost a given that i would be looking for a job now (and i have)... recently been thinking of the opportunities that a gap year would offer me - things that have allowed me to warm up to the idea of delaying entering the working world. and a gap year does seem to offer a really great alternative to working, the more i think about it.

travelling - haven't been travelling much these past few years, only perhaps been to one trip every year. should have taken the opportunity of my student status and holidays and cheap tickets to go around europe. a gap year would give me time to go around the world to places such as south america (hola!) greece, thailand, malaysia (visit relatives), taiwan, japan or return to shanghai etc... but of course i would have to choose diligently where i want to go...

design - also entertaining the idea that i would enjoy doing something design-y - graphic/publication/newmedia/product design. before my focus turned towards the City, i've always wanted to something fun-filled and that i would enjoy. i've done many half-hearted attempts at designing, but my more accomplished pieces are a result of working for a society or project, not out of self interest (sadly), which shows that an interest needs a bit of motivation for it to really become a hobby. for example, i had planned to begin my own website which would incorporate a blog for about 2, 3 year already, but since other priorities always existed (like other projects, or worse, computer games!) i never got around to it, so here it is, a blog set up in 5 mins - actually not that bad!
anyway, back to the gap year - perhaps i would be able to get an internship working for a design company or enroll myself in a design course. would be good fun i reckon! (oh dear, i sound so british)

job hunting - yes, that too - hopefully i would have found one by the end of the next milkround (sept to jan). then it would be finance and consulting apps all over again. sigh!

but i run in the risk of setting my mind too firmly on the gap year too early and then suddenly get a graduate job and then facing a painful choice of rejecting one or the other. i've already almost convinced myself to the Great Alternatives of the gap year...