Bournemouth University Admissions Tutor suggests that volunteering on your gap year can increase your transferrable skills. Camps International is a company that offer volunteer programmes for 18-25 year olds.

(TRAVPR.COM) OUTSIDE U.S. - January 28th, 2013 - One of the many challenges when applying for university is to show any level of life experience outside of that gained in the classroom. In a very competitive environment, what can you do to make your CV stand out. “Voluntary work, especially expeditions abroad can help students gain transferable skills relevant to university study.” Says Karen Pichlmann Head of Admissions at Bournemouth University. “Admissions tutors look for a range of skills and experience when assessing any application to university. An expedition abroad doing voluntary work can help a student gain many transferable skills relevant to university study, such as learn independence, as they learn to organise and budget themselves.”

Camps International is one such company who specialise in volunteering expeditions to Africa, Asia and South America. “Our volunteers spend between 1 and 3 months living and working alongside the locals on projects that benefit not only themselves but the surrounding community, wildlife and environment.” Said Stuart Rees Jones CEO of Camps International. “The majority of our clients also fundraise a percentage or all of their funds themselves in order to travel.” There has been a large increase in gap year volunteering recently as students look to do something more structured to improve their CVs. Over the last few years Rees Jones has noticed an increase in the number of students self-funding instead of relying on the bank of Mum and Dad.

“Volunteering abroad can also build students confidence as they learn to get on with different types of people, new cultures and to prove to themselves what they can achieve through voluntary work.” Said Pichlmann, when asked about how to make it relevant to their individual application. “It is important that students reflect on, and demonstrate what they have learnt and how it applies to their chosen course at university, rather than list the activities undertaken whilst away.”

For more information about Camps International’s gap year programmes please visit www.campsinternational.com. Alternatively contact James Chetwode jamesc@campsinternational.co.uk or call +44 (0)1425 485 390.

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