It’s official: You’re more likely to get a first if you do a gap year

In great news for everyone who spent months killing brain cells on a Thai beach, you’re officially more likely to get a first if you’ve done a gap year.

Students who took a year out had an 18 per cent chance of getting a first, compared to a 12 per cent chance for those who didn’t, according to stats released by the Office for National Statistics and reported by The Times.

Of course, the stats don’t account for the other factors which might come into play – students who take gap years being better off, for instance.

However, things might not be that easy. Unis are saying they’ll be stricter on students deferring this year, with plenty of Russell Group institutions telling The Tab they’ll limit the number of deferrals.

That’s before you even consider whether you’ll be able to travel, or if you’ll just be stuck at home with your parents.

You’re obviously also more likely to get a first if you can separate correlation from causation, but whatever.

Related stories recommended by this writer:

• Compare: Is your uni letting students defer a year to avoid online teaching?

• A uni spent £240k on Amazon vouchers to try and buy off students affected by strikes

• We asked the top 50 graduate employers if they’re still hiring