A Psychology with Media student tells of his gap year working on a kibbutz in Israel.

Why did you take a year out?

I didn't know what I was going to do after college. I wasn't very happy with my A-Level results, and I wanted to do something a bit different. Not just go straight to university like most people do.

What did you do in your year out?

I spent 3 months volunteering on a kibbutz in Israel and then 6 months travelling around that part of the world.

What did work on the kibbutz involve?

I spent time working on a fish farm which included catching them and processing them, I did some beekeeping, some gardening and worked for quite a while in a plastic factory.

What about when you travelled?

I travelled around Israel, Egypt, Jordan and Crete. I wanted to visit Lebanon, but I couldn't because the kibbutz gave me an Israeli stamp in my passport.

How did you sustain yourself?

I took random jobs as I moved around. I worked in a hostel reception, at the university, did some more gardening and even performed as a drag queen in Tel Aviv!

Why did you choose a kibbutz?

I knew some other people who had worked on a kibbutz and said it was the best experience of their lives. I would have travelled for longer, but apart from the money, I think there's only so long you can loaf around the Middle East before you get bored, so I just came home!

Did you consider doing anything else?

Yes, I considered teaching English in Africa, but you needed to have all kinds of qualifications and teaching experience. I was also a bit concerned about the safety aspect of it. I knew Israel was a developed country and fairly safe, but I was unsure about Africa. I thought that since it was my first time travelling, I should stick to something where I would be ok.

Would you change what you did?

Not at all - it was brilliant. I'm so glad I did it. I think a lot of people don't really understand what travellers get up to, and it's nice to be able to talk with people who have had similar experiences. How did you cope with new situations? It was difficult to begin with. The first week on the kibbutz I hated it. The other volunteers weren't very friendly at first, and it took a lot of getting used to. They were from all different countries as well - North America, Norway, South Korea etc, so I did have to adapt. Once I got settled in though, I loved it. One of the most difficult things to deal with was my relationship with my friends when I got home. They had changed and I had changed, so that was a big factor in deciding what to do next - I decided to go to uni, partly because I just couldn't stay in London any more.

How did you find it studying after a year out?

It was really difficult to begin with. I had to do a lot of work, but I did get back into the swing of things after a while. I think it was because I had been doing manual work, and then just travelling around. If I had done a more mental job, then I think I would have found it easier to get back into education.

What do you think you gained?

It gave me lots to talk about - I always talk about my time out there! It also helped me sort out what I wanted to do in the future, and helped me to get into university. It looks great on my CV!