ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the experiences of students who spoke of taking a graduate gap year. It examines the different roles of a graduate gap year and discusses wider implications for unequal graduate outcomes and focuses on transitions to adulthood and graduate transitions more generally. The chapter explores reasons identified for taking a graduate gap year and how these differed between the graduates of 2014 and the graduates of 2015. Four types of graduate gap year emerged from the data analysis of the 25 interview transcripts where students communicated their intention to take a year out immediately after graduating: a year out to build up work experience, a year out to work out next steps, a year out to take a break and a year out to get 'ordinary work' to earn money. The chapter demonstrates that the graduate gap year is not a homogeneous experience for young people and that it is likely to be a classed experience.
