Does going on gap year actually improve you C.V?

Can you help me salvage my gap year?

• I'm about halfway through my gap year now and it's all gone disastrously wrong. I worked part time during the summer and ended up staying there until Christmas whilst I was looking for something else (though I didn't earn all that much - it was minimum wage and I had other outgoings). In January, I went to au pair for a family in Spain, with the intention of being there til the end of June. However, the family were awful so I've had to come home to the UK. Now, I don't know what to do. I'm starting university in September and I'll be doing French, Spanish and Linguistics. Because of that, I want to do do something to improve my language skills (I'd planned to save money from au pairing to spend some of my summer in France) As it is, I can't afford to just go back to Spain unless I have an income whilst I'm there. Nobody wants to give me a job here because I've got really good grades and it's clear I'm not going to stay in a dead-end job. My French and Spanish are going backwards...I desperately need to use them more. I really don't know what to do and I don't want this gap year to be a waste. Please help, any suggestions welcome! Thanks in advance xxx

• Answer:

  I would recommend you look at this website: http://www.i-to-i.com/volunteer-trips/ A lot of the trips are quite affordable and you could practise your language skills, put something back in to a community, have a great time and get some experience. If not, maybe think where you want to be after university & get some experience. Or just earn lots of money so you will be sorted for uni =) Hope all goes well ;) Jasmineeeee x