"Gap Yah" Clichés

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If you've taken a gap year or you're thinking about it, consider this a cautionary tale. 

While most gappers leave their home country with the intent to explore, have fun and gather experience, skills and knowledge to help them later on, some gappers take a different route...

With over 3,000,000 hits on YouTube, this video from the UK-based VMproductions and The Unexpected Items, hits pretty close to home for anyone who has known a gapper who used their year to party, drink and pretend that they've learned something worthwhile abroad. The video has made its rounds online since it premiered in February 2010, and every other commenter seems to know someone just like this guy. 

While some partying and having fun is great - even essential - during your gap year, you may want to skip the "naughty salt" (hint: it's a slang term for cocaine) and getting lashed (read: drunk) every night, leading you to chunder (read: vomit) at the Andes. Just a suggestion!

To learn how to take a grown-up gap year, click here to read an article from the Verge archives.

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Zalina Alvi

Zalina grew up in Toronto and began her career in journalism at the York University campus newspaper. Before joining Verge in 2010, she worked for a documentary festival, a non-profit organization and various magazines and newspapers. Zalina has had some eclectic travel experiences, including reporting for a newspaper on the island of Molokai in Hawaii.

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