What is Gap Year

According to Gap Year Association, Gap Year Could is defined as  “A semester or year or any measurable time of experiential learning, typically taken after high school and before career or post-secondary education, to deepen one’s practical, professional, and personal awareness.”

The result of any gap Year program is to help participants experience real transformation.  The plan is to push participants out of their comfort zones to speed up their personal development path. Students who complete a Gap Year abroad benefit from clarified career path and gain a good sense of purpose. Many students can identify what career path to pursue and course combinations that work for them. They are also able to improve their confidence and global background tremendously.

Types of Gap Years

See below some Gap Year Ideas for your perusal. They might inspire you.

• Internships
• Learn the Chinese Language
• Travel and Adventure
• Volunteer
• Teach English Abroad

Five reasons why you may need a gap year

Should I take a gap year or not?

Sure, a month of backpacking or a week of vacation is lovely, but in some cases, it is better to choose to take a gap year. For example, after high school, if you have no idea what you want to study in college/university. After you complete your Bachelor’s and don’t want to go to work right away or immediately get stressed feelings with the idea of a Master, but even when you want to switch jobs, a gap year can be the best plan ever. Sure it’s something you have to save for, although you’ll soon find out that life in South-East Asia is much cheaper than in Europe and of course there are also jobs to be found abroad. Long story short, forget the stress of choice in Europe, and check why taking a gap year is the best plan ever!

1. 1. You get to know yourself

When you take a gap year and leave home for a more extended period, you are entirely dependent on yourself. Instead of your school, parents or friends, you decide what things you are going to do every day. Do you choose a language course during your gap year? Are you going to work in Australia for a month? Do you want to volunteer? Or do you crave a few weeks of chilling at a typical backpacker destination? The choice is yours! And because you make your own choices every day, you will soon find that you become more independent but also that you get to know yourself better. You learn what kind of person you are during such a gap year.

What kind of things and people suit you, which makes you happy. You also learn to plan, work, consciously deal with money, take responsibility, you become more self-reliant, and above all, more social. All this only because of the experiences you experience during such a Gap Year. You probably don’t realize all of this until you get home, you will grow out of a period of your ordinary life.

2. 2. A gap year abroad makes you better in other languages

When you travel or study during your gap year abroad, it is almost necessary to be able to speak more languages than just English. You probably learned the basics of several other languages during your High School, but when you’re abroad, you’ll find that your language skills will soon get better. Improve your knowledge by using apps like Duolingo; this app is free and an accessible way to learn other languages. Do you want to be able to speak a language fluently?

Then it is advisable to take a language course, for example, through an organization like China-Scholar, you can efficiently study abroad. Of course, you also learn to speak a language better, because you can put your new skills into practice every day overseas. For example, when you’re going shopping if you’re going to catch a taxi or get into a conversation with locals, travel buddies, or college mates.

3. 3. It’s a Boost for Your Career

If you can speak a different language fluently, that is, of course, also good for your resume and your chances in the labor market. But above all, a gap year shows employers that you are independent, has a lot of motivation and is open to make new contacts. You may expect to interrupt your studies or job to be bad for your resume, but it may show that you are confident and flexible.

4. 4. It broadens your horizons and views the world

If you’ve lived in the same country your whole life, you’ll probably have a defined view of the world. Of course, TV shows, articles and holidays give you a glimpse into other cultures, but it’s different if you live in another country for a long time. When you take a gap year and spend it abroad, it broadens your horizons. You get to know different kinds of people, you discover how other cultures work together, and you experience how people live on the other side of the world. Chances are you’ll experience a culture shock in the first few days abroad, but in the end, immersing yourself in another country is an incredibly meaningful and enriching experience in your life.

5. 5. It is the ideal opportunity to get better at hobbies you like

If you have a hobby such as yoga, surfing or snowboarding, then a gap year is the perfect time to improve your skills. For example, if you like yoga, you can take a Yoga Teacher Training in India. Maybe you can use this skill more than you think, so you can start teaching at yoga schools after such training in your own country. Do you love surfing? Then during a gap year, you can decide to go surfing for a few months at one of the best surfing spots in South Africa.

Who knows, when you get home, you might know more than you think. How about organizing surfing trips to South Africa? It doesn’t matter what hobby it is about; the fact is that during a gap year, you have the chance to immerse yourself in it fully and who knows, you might get more out of it that you expect in advance.

Take a gap year abroad or in your own country?

Above we mainly focus on taking a gap year abroad, but of course, you can also choose to take a gap year in your own country. If you take a gap year, it’s all up to you how you fill it out. So you don’t necessarily have to travel. It can also happen that you want to gain work experience because you are entirely finished learning and that after a year of work, you go back into the school benches. In the meantime, it is often mentioned in combination with travel, but this does not have to be the case at all.

Take a gap year conclusion.

Whether you should take a gap year is your own decision, of course. When you think about it, it’s wise to dwell on questions like:

• What motivates you to take a gap year?
• What do you want to learn or experience during such a gap year?
• How much money do you need for a gap year, and can you save this amount?
• How long do you want to stay away?

The word “gap year” suggests that you need to take a year for a Gap Year, but of course, you might as well go on a journey for six months or three months. You decide for yourself the time you want to take for such an intermediate phase.