VIET NAM COMMERCE UNIVERSITY ENGLISH FACULTY DISCUSSION GROUP GAP YEAR Class: Teacher: MEMBERS OF GROUP OUTLINE What is a gap year? Why people take a gap year? Misconceptions About the Gap Year Misconceptions About the Gap Year Ways to spend your gap year Tips for choosing a gap year Financials of a Gap Year Tips for Making Your Gap Year a Success I What is a gap year? In its most basic form a gap year is a year taken off from traditional schooling between high school graduation and the beginning of freshman year of college While many parents fear that a gap year will be frowned upon, guidance counselors and school administrators have begun to see the value of a gap year Taking a gap year is not just a trendy way to delay college, it is instead an incredible opportunity for students to take a year of their life to better themselves before continuing their education Once a rarity, gap years are becoming increasingly common for students of all academic aptitudes and walks of life, as the benefits they provide are universal “Gap year” is also called pathway, prep-year, leap year, defer year, bridge-year, drop year, year out, year off, overseas experience (OE) or foundation year A gap year comes under many guises - backpacking, a career gap, a short gap year, travelling, time out, a sabbatical - but they all mean the same thing A gap year is constructive time out to travel in-between life stages It usually means travelling, volunteering or working abroad Often it means all three! Most students who choose to take a gap year follow a very similar path as those who decide to go directly into college, as the best way to take a gap year is to apply to college, then defer once accepted This allows students to complete their gap year with the assurance of a continued educational path waiting for them Almost all colleges will encourage the journey because of the benefits it provides for students as long as they have a defined path and plan for their gap year While some individuals may wait to apply to college in the hopes that a gap year will help their application, it is almost always better to apply before the year Should a student wait to apply until after they complete their gap year, they greatly increase the chance that they will not return to college In addition to the risk of not returning to college, having education plans up in the air and an acting stress factor negates one of the main reasons for taking a gap year: Escaping the stress of traditional education in order to "recharge” II Why people take a gap year? Students may choose to take a gap year for a wide variety of reasons, but one of the most common is feeling unprepared for college For these students, the gap year is an opportunity to reflect on what they will in the future, and take time to mature before they return to academia to begin college By coming to college a year older and more mature, students often find that they get more out of their college experience both in and outside of the classroom By exposing themselves to the "real world" over their gap year, these students will often learn more about the value and importance of a college education, which can be difficult to see in an academic environment For those students who might be otherwise socially and academically prepared, a gap year can be a chance to mentally prepare for college After spending four years studying and preparing to go to college, many individuals feel burnt out from the grind of simply getting there For these students, going directly into college could be disastrous, as they may not be mentally prepared or able to their best work To begin college in such a state of mind could lead to poor grades, low quality of life, and the potential for drop out By taking a gap year, students can avoid these problems without negative consequences, as their college spot will still be waiting for them when they get back Still other individuals may take a gap year to travel or see the world before they head to college for four years While many college students take a semester or year abroad, for some students it can be difficult to wait for the opportunity to travel For those individuals with a feeling of wanderlust, the chance to gain global perspective and cultural knowledge is hard to pass up These individuals will often pick up significant language skills and obtain impressive cultural knowledge, making them more global citizens, and potentially opening doors for them later in their lives and careers A gap year can also be a chance to decide what to study in college, as many students leave high school completely undecided as to a career path or field, sometimes taking years of college just to decide what they really want to study For these students, taking a gap year can be an opportunity to take a job or internship that may give them greater perspective as to what they enjoy and would be interested in studying in college In these cases, the decision to take a gap year can benefit both the student and the parents, as the student spends more time studying what they like and are interested in, and the parents feel as though their money is being better spent at college Lastly, some individuals are attracted to community service programs, and may want to take a year to help others, oftentimes in another country This goal is best accomplished through an existing program, and can be a great way to give back to the local community, or a community somewhere else in the world Service work can also teach new real world skills, and give students a sense of achievement and purpose If a student doesn't fit perfectly into one of these categories- don't worry! These are just a few of the reasons people take gap years, and as long as there is a legitimate and important reason to take a gap year it will be a valuable experience Some people find themselves in more than one of the categories above, and some find themselves in none of them, but they all can still find value in a gap year III Misconceptions About the Gap Year The gap year concept is growing more awareness in the United States by the day, there are still common misconceptions about this growing trend among parents and high school students Here's my perspective of the Top misunderstandings Students go on a Gap Year because they don't feel mature enough for college Actually, a majority of our students feel ready for the college social scene What they fear most is that they won't make the most of their college experience from both an academic and social perspective Students go on a Gap Year because they don't know what they want to with their lives or what to study Some students come into our program to discover themselves and their passions Others come in to affirm their passion and broaden their experiences to give more support to their academic choice of focus One of our students this year came in knowing she wanted to study pre-med and become a doctor What the program offerred her was several life experiences and exposures to healthcare on a global level She now leaves the program affirmed in her passion for pre-med and a focused desire to apply herself in the area of infectious diseases based on what she saw in four different continents Students who go on a Gap Year never go to college We have yet to graduate a student from our program that has not pursued higher education Gap Year students will lose scholarship money or fail to get into their school of choice if they wait a year So long as you not take any outside credit from the school of choice, many colleges will maintain your scholarship even if you defer for a year We also see that our program broadens students experiences and appeals to universities to qualify you for more scholarship money and different types of scholarships Some students who did not get into their school of choice will take a gap year to boost their resume and gain the attention of their desired school as they re-apply the following year A Gap Year puts students one Year behind all their peers who will graduate before them The average college student is spending more than years working on their undergraduate studies The average college student changes their major times A gap year student is making an investment on the FRONT END of their studies in order to avoid the endless change of majors and lengthening their years of studies beyond the necessary four years to complete an undergraduate degree You will most likely graduate with a majority of your peers but be more focused and purposeful in the four year process IV Ways to spend your gap year Taking a gap year in between finishing college and heading off to graduate school can also be a great way to refresh before heading back to higher education! There are plenty of productive and even life changing ways you can spend your gap year Here is five productive things to during your year off Go abroad Maybe you didn’t have the time to study abroad during college while trying to get all those credits out of the way, or maybe you just have a lot of wanderlust to get out of your system Either way, going abroad during your gap year is a great way to expand your horizons and experience the rest of the world before coming back to focus on graduate school If you decide to use your gap year to go abroad, you can use an official gap year program or design your adventure abroad If you’d like more structure to your year abroad or you want to work, study or volunteer while there, doing it through an organization may be best for you Volunteer Spending your gap year helping others can really change your perspective, especially if you didn’t get a lot of time to volunteer projects in college There are plenty of volunteer programs available for college students and young adults Explore possible careers with an internship You’re going to be spending two or more of the next few years of your life hitting the books, so why not try getting a little work experience before heading back to school? Interning can be a great way to try out a career you might not necessarily have the option to explore or study in college or grad school It can pave the way to new opportunities that you might not have expected! Learn something new You’ve been learning like crazy in college – but what about that foreign language you’ve always been dying to learn, or that cooking class you’ve always wanted to take? Whatever your interests might be, taking a year off before grad school can give you time to learn new things and develop new passions you haven’t had time for before The best part? No grades or forced credit hours to stress you out, meaning this learning experience can be way more stress-free than your regular classes Because it’s so important to be able to show employers and grad school representatives what you’ve done during your gap year, gaining a new skill is a great way to show that you haven’t just been taking the year off Pursue your passion Maybe you’ve been interested in creating an online comestic shop with some friends or you’ve always had the idea of starting a fashion blog in the back of your head, but you haven’t had time to it with your classes, extracurriculars and grad school applications Whatever you’re passionate about doing, your gap year is a great time to it! If you plan to spend your gap year this way, stay focused by structuring your project If you want to start a blog, stick to a schedule of writing, editing and creating posts to keep yourself on track This ensures that you’ll stay productive throughout your whole gap year Whatever your passion, your gap year is a great time to pursue it V Tips for choosing a gap year Does it offer a strong connection with the comminity? Choose a program with a strong local connection.Look for a program that has an intimate relationship with the comminity where they era traveling Is the program reputable and safe? Parents and students should sample research before selecting any program, but safety is of utmost importance Respected programs have good reputations and records of safety Do it offer a high level of immersion into the local culture? Find out how involved the program is with the local community and infrastructure Students should choose a program that will truly integrate them with the people around them You want them to learn as much about the local culture and traditions as possible- right down to the food they eat and how they prepare it Do it have a strong alumni network.? Connection can help students down the line gap year programs provide network for college, internships and jobs long after the trips are over.It's one thing to learn while you are there, but you can leverage it afterwards VI Financials of a gap year Bank Accounts You're going to need a bank account that you can access throughout your Gap year, so why not start it early and make that your savings fund Any money that goes into this account in the lead up to you year abroad doesn't get touched until you've set off Try and set up an account that doesn't incur fees and it may also pay to give your parents access to it if need be At least give them the account number so they can make any extra deposits throughout the year Part time jobs These are good to have to ensure there's a steady income being deposited into your bank account You may already have one or are thinking of getting one, but a Gap year is a good incentive to start saving You may want a retail or hospitality job you can on the weekends Remember any hour that you're working and earning money, is an hour you're not spending money, so more can go into your account Look out for odd jobs as well like gardening, helping out at events, stock taking at stores, offer your services around the neighbourhood or pick up a few extra babysitting shifts Every little bit helps Think before you spend In the lead up to your Gap year pay attention to what you're spending your money on Do you need that new pair of shoes? After all you're not going to be wearing them in the next 12 months Before you buy that morning cup of coffee a quick exchange rate calculation in your head: how much could you buy in Africa, Asia or Latin America for the same amount of money? You'll be surprised how far a few coins can go in other countries By taking some steps to ensure you have a little bit of money in your savings account will make for a better Gap year But how to spend that money during your year abroad is another matter Tips for Making Your Gap Year a Succes VII Apply to college before you go on the gap year- remove the stress of thinking about college on the gap year Create a detailed plan for the "what, why, and how"- what you are going to do, why you are doing it, and how you are going to accomplish your goals Once you have made your plan, pitch it to someone else- parents, friends, teachers, college admissions officers Revise your plan based on feedback Take all feedback into account, but especially consider that of admissions officers Remember to self evaluate throughout your gap year; ensure that you are getting value out of the year Go back to your pre-gap year goals, and determine if you are on track to accomplish them Document your gap year, whether through making a blog, keeping a journal, or filming vlogs Make sure to meet lots of new people on your gap year, and especially locals in any areas you travel to Try new foods and activities, and try to experience local traditions Enjoy yourself END [...]... Revise your plan based on feedback Take all feedback into account, but especially consider that of admissions officers Remember to self evaluate throughout your gap year; ensure that you are getting value out of the year Go back to your pre -gap year goals, and determine if you are on track to accomplish them Document your gap year, whether through making a blog, keeping a journal, or filming vlogs Make... Making Your Gap Year a Succes VII 1 Apply to college before you go on the gap year- remove the stress of 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 thinking about college on the gap year Create a detailed plan for the "what, why, and how" - what you are going to do, why you are doing it, and how you are going to accomplish your goals Once you have made your plan, pitch it to someone else- parents, friends, teachers, college admissions... do a quick exchange rate calculation in your head: how much could you buy in Africa, Asia or Latin America for the same amount of money? You'll be surprised how far a few coins can go in other countries By taking some steps to ensure you have a little bit of money in your savings account will make for a better Gap year But how to spend that money during your year abroad is another matter Tips for Making... strong alumni network.? Connection can help students down the line gap year programs provide network for college, internships and jobs long after the trips are over.It's one thing to learn while you are there, but you can leverage it afterwards VI Financials of a gap year 1 Bank Accounts You're going to need a bank account that you can access throughout your Gap year, so why not start it early and make... and make that your savings fund Any money that goes into this account in the lead up to you year abroad doesn't get touched until you've set off Try and set up an account that doesn't incur fees and it may also pay to give your parents access to it if need be At least give them the account number so they can make any extra deposits throughout the year 2 Part time jobs These are good to have to ensure... a gap year Does it offer a strong connection with the comminity? Choose a program with a strong local connection.Look for a program that has an intimate relationship with the comminity where they era traveling 2 Is the program reputable and safe? Parents and students should do sample research before selecting any program, but safety is of utmost importance Respected programs have good reputations and... there's a steady income being deposited into your bank account You may already have one or are thinking of getting one, but a Gap year is a good incentive to start saving You may want a retail or hospitality job you can do on the weekends Remember any hour that you're working and earning money, is an hour you're not spending money, so more can go into your account Look out for odd jobs as well like gardening,... of safety 3 Do it offer a high level of immersion into the local culture? Find out how involved the program is with the local community and infrastructure Students should choose a program that will truly integrate them with the people around them You want them to learn as much about the local culture and traditions as possible- right down to the food they eat and how they prepare it 4 Do it have a strong... at events, stock taking at stores, offer your services around the neighbourhood or pick up a few extra babysitting shifts Every little bit helps 3 Think before you spend In the lead up to your Gap year pay attention to what you're spending your money on Do you need that new pair of shoes? After all you're not going to be wearing them in the next 12 months Before you buy that morning cup of coffee do. .. track to accomplish them Document your gap year, whether through making a blog, keeping a journal, or filming vlogs Make sure to meet lots of new people on your gap year, and especially locals in any areas you travel to Try new foods and activities, and try to experience local traditions Enjoy yourself END ... What is a gap year? Why people take a gap year? Misconceptions About the Gap Year Misconceptions About the Gap Year Ways to spend your gap year Tips for choosing a gap year Financials of a Gap. .. a Gap Year Tips for Making Your Gap Year a Success I What is a gap year? In its most basic form a gap year is a year taken off from traditional schooling between high school graduation and the... freshman year of college While many parents fear that a gap year will be frowned upon, guidance counselors and school administrators have begun to see the value of a gap year Taking a gap year is