During school, after school or during uni?

[legendfunk]

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I was wondering when is the best time to go.

The good thing about doing it during school is you're much more likely to get a homestay, but then again all you do is really sit in class doing nothing much (from my friends who've been) and tour.

I was originally thinking high school but I'm thinking uni is better more since (unless you're a sociopath) you don't need a homestay to meet people, your education will look really good on your CV, you get some finanical support (varies) and you're actually learning.

Then there's between school and uni - the gap. But what's the point? You might as well just be a tourist.

What's the best option (It's too late for me to do high school, so uni is probably my only choice. But I'm kinda glad I saved for it.)

[soopacow]

I know people who's gone on exchange during their gap year, and loved it so much that they went back during their uni years again for another exchange. Everyone's experience will differ from each other... you can still do homestay even when you're in university (that's what I'll be doing in a few months' time)... But again, this is different from country to country as well.

Where are you thinking of going? Perhaps by narrowing down where you're going, we'll be able to better answer your questions? =)

[legendfunk]

Originally Posted by soopacow

Where are you thinking of going? Perhaps by narrowing down where you're going, we'll be able to better answer your questions? =)

East Asia. I'm trying for International Business or Business/Asian Studies in uni.

My parents always suggest, "But there's this other place called Harvard..."

[creamnchocolat_]

I was wondering too. I used to want to take a gap year, but depending on what degree I want to do (I'm in year 11 atm) I'd want to finish it in the shortest amount of time possible.

So atm, focusing on overseas study or exchange programs.

Originally Posted by legendfunk

My parents always suggest, "But there's this other place called Harvard..."

LOL, I'd love to go to Harvard. Except I'm not sure how to go about it - their website is so confusing in regards to international students. The only info I could find was on their summer school, and I'm not even sure what that is. Our school hasn't given us much info on exchange at uni, hope it comes up soon during careers or something.

[laurabally]

an australian getting into harvard is a very, very, very rare occurrence.
don't get your hopes up.

[spence]

Originally Posted by creamnchocolat_

I was wondering too. I used to want to take a gap year, but depending on what degree I want to do (I'm in year 11 atm) I'd want to finish it in the shortest amount of time possible.

So atm, focusing on overseas study or exchange programs.



LOL, I'd love to go to Harvard. Except I'm not sure how to go about it - their website is so confusing in regards to international students. The only info I could find was on their summer school, and I'm not even sure what that is. Our school hasn't given us much info on exchange at uni, hope it comes up soon during careers or something.

Why would school give you much info on uni exchange?

[Peartie]

I did all three types:

The High School Exchange: was the shortest of them, and basically did what you said - sat in class trying to pick up what was being said but as my German wasn't great was only getting bits and pieces of it - although it was a good experience. Through my host brother I met a fair few people but, just that - they were only my hosts friends....

Gap Year: I wasnt "just a tourist" as I had to work for my accomodation, food and what little pay i got but it was worth it. I was able to meet lots of people, have fun and during the holidays was able to see europe (and get paid for it as the school paid us for the months of holiday as well) I reccomend this for the type of person who doesnt want to go straight to uni, or doesn't particularly enjoy studying - I loved it!

Uni Exchange: Was also a great experience, met people from all over the world (I now have a place to live in in basically every European country from UK to Russia). I knew more German this time round so was actually able to participate and being a Uni student there were lots of parties and things so I met lots of cool people! This was a great experience and those people who didn't do a GAP year (and even those that did) I think should do a Uni Exchange - Not only is it heaps of fun but also looks great on a CV (Hey not only has this guy/girl got overseas experience but hes/shes also studied overseas (preferably in a different language - im the kind of person who thinks everyone should have to learn a 2nd language ) )


So in order of them Id probably put

GAP
Uni
High School

But GAP and Uni are so close together the only reason the GAP wins out is because it was a little bit longer- if uni had gone for a year I'd probably have put uni as number one..... but really its up to you which one you take, what you feel comfortable with and how long you think you could be away for (and how much work you want to do - the Uni exchange whilst lots of partying was also a fair bit of work - then again i did have to do 9 subjects).

[legendfunk]

Originally Posted by Peartie

I did all three types:

The High School Exchange: was the shortest of them, and basically did what you said - sat in class trying to pick up what was being said but as my German wasn't great was only getting bits and pieces of it - although it was a good experience. Through my host brother I met a fair few people but, just that - they were only my hosts friends....

Gap Year: I wasnt "just a tourist" as I had to work for my accomodation, food and what little pay i got but it was worth it. I was able to meet lots of people, have fun and during the holidays was able to see europe (and get paid for it as the school paid us for the months of holiday as well) I reccomend this for the type of person who doesnt want to go straight to uni, or doesn't particularly enjoy studying - I loved it!

Uni Exchange: Was also a great experience, met people from all over the world (I now have a place to live in in basically every European country from UK to Russia). I knew more German this time round so was actually able to participate and being a Uni student there were lots of parties and things so I met lots of cool people! This was a great experience and those people who didn't do a GAP year (and even those that did) I think should do a Uni Exchange - Not only is it heaps of fun but also looks great on a CV (Hey not only has this guy/girl got overseas experience but hes/shes also studied overseas (preferably in a different language - im the kind of person who thinks everyone should have to learn a 2nd language ) )


So in order of them Id probably put

GAP
Uni
High School

But GAP and Uni are so close together the only reason the GAP wins out is because it was a little bit longer- if uni had gone for a year I'd probably have put uni as number one..... but really its up to you which one you take, what you feel comfortable with and how long you think you could be away for (and how much work you want to do - the Uni exchange whilst lots of partying was also a fair bit of work - then again i did have to do 9 subjects).

How much planning do you need to do a gap year? Do you think that if you did a full year at uni it would have been better than the gap year? With International Studies in my sights a uni exchange is kinda obligatory

[PwarYuex]

Try it as early as possible, as often as possible?

Unis are great because they usually will give you more money than you'd get in school, but there's still no reason not to go during school time.

[Psychohellkat]

Originally Posted by legendfunk

I was wondering when is the best time to go.

The good thing about doing it during school is you're much more likely to get a homestay, but then again all you do is really sit in class doing nothing much (from my friends who've been) and tour.

I was originally thinking high school but I'm thinking uni is better more since (unless you're a sociopath) you don't need a homestay to meet people, your education will look really good on your CV, you get some finanical support (varies) and you're actually learning.

Then there's between school and uni - the gap. But what's the point? You might as well just be a tourist.

What's the best option (It's too late for me to do high school, so uni is probably my only choice. But I'm kinda glad I saved for it.)

I'm on an exchange right now in Japan. Ill be started year 11 when i get back at the start of next year.

Personally, i'd say the best time to go is just after year 10. You get a bit of a break before the stress of VCE (or what ever they call it in your state) and if you're going to a foreign language speaking country and are doing that language subject for you senior years.... you will have a HUGE advantage over your class mates.

[legendfunk]

Originally Posted by Psychohellkat

I'm on an exchange right now in Japan.

You're living my dream.

[Peartie]

Originally Posted by legendfunk

How much planning do you need to do a gap year?

I didnt need to do much, applied with a company (after being rejected by a few schools) and got a position at a school, so got paid and had plenty of time to travel. The main organising I had to do was during the year planning my euro trips :P

Originally Posted by legendfunk

Do you think that if you did a full year at uni it would have been better than the gap year?

I think doing as many trips as possible is the best...Id have loved to do the full year exchange at uni as well but couldnt afford it. But whats "better" depends on what you want - if you want to travel then a full year of uni may not be the best because you will *actually* have uni work, assignments and tests to do whereas if you're going just to work and travel tehre are weekends (and if ur @ a school the school holidays as well) where you can travel!

[sandersen]

It really depends on what type of gains from the exchange you are looking for. I went on exchange in year 10, and after I finished school and will probably go in uni next year or the year after (damn double degrees!).

High school exchange is best done for a whole year in year 10. This means that you experience a whole year in your host country, really learn a language, get to know your host family and friends so much better. The special thing about high school exchange (which you can also do as a gap year) is that you are completely immersed in the culture, living with a host family and forced to attend school to a certain degree, which is hard to achieve later on. You live with parents who usually are willing to spend time helping you out and will have siblings and probably grandparents and other family members which I guess makes it a more comforting experience for a high school student.


With gap exchanges, I guess there are few types.

1. The gap year in England
You get to look after a whole lot of snotty nosed private school kids, doing their washing, organising their sport, living with other gappies. You get holidays off and sometimes the use of the school gap car. It means that you're earning money (in pounds, which gives you a pretty awesome exchange rate) and are pretty centrally located in Europe, which means it's easy to travel around there. But I don't really see it as an exchange to be honest, because I don't see England's culture as very different to ours, nor is there the language aspect. I see it as a working holiday.

2. The highschool exchange
Much like what I said above, except now, you don't have to care at all about your grades because no one will be looking at them ever. Not the best, because you still have a lot of restrictions, in regards to relationships, drinking, drugs, school attendance and you still have to comply with your family's rules or you will be sent home, even though you are 18.

3. The 'humanitarian' trip
Where you pay to volunteer in a third-world country. The fact that you are going with an organisation makes the parents happy, and you are happy because you are making the world a better place... or are you? Sure you are making a short-term difference whatever you do, whether it is building a school, or teaching English, but in the long term, it isn't sustainable - can and should a country rely on privileged westerners for their infrastructure and education, coming in periods of 1-6 months at a time? I'm not saying it's all bad, just choose your country and program carefully and be realistic about how you are actually going to positively affect the area you live in. The shorter the length of time you stay, the less helpful you will be.
World Volunteer Web:�Volunteer tourism & the gap year


4. The do-it-yourself
This is what I advocate, but it is probably the hardest to actually do. It can be hard to organise everything from Australia, and visas can be difficult to get. But it means that you can be flexible and free while you are away and means that you have to rely on yourself a lot more, which I think is important on a gap year, it is a time where you are supposed to be growing up, a rite of passage. I decided to base myself in Denmark for about 1½ years after school finished, and combined working, studying and travelling to have an awesome time. I wanted to learn the language and immerse myself in the culture and I definitely did. I'm proud that I managed to pull it all off, and despite times where I would be thinking fuck, where am I going to sleep tonight, I worked it out. It has been a really great thing to talk about in interviews, emphasising that I worked everything out for myself, instead of just taking a pre-packaged option like most other people.

Uni exchange
Uni exchange is pretty awesome - you can pretty much choose how you want it to be. If you want to learn a language or improve your language skills then you can choose to mix with the natives, or you can have heaps of fun with all the other exchange students. It varies heaps depending on where you go, in terms of the courses you can do, how you find your housing and the support you can get from your uni. You can choose from a year or semester, depending on how long your degree is and how long you are prepared to spend away. Ususally people leave as early as possible and come back as late as possible to allow other time for travel.
If you want specifics, ask someone who has been on uni exchange in the country you want to go to.

[LJCorbin]

If I could start my life again I would do a six-month GAP trip then do an exchange during second-year University.

[omniscience]

during sex