Travelling in your Gap Year (1 Viewer)

[beccabum]

just wondering if anyone else out there is taking a gap year between high school and uni? What are your plans if you are travelling?

i have been thinking of getting a round the world ticket and go to Bali, Vietnam, Japan, Europe and the UK. aiming to go sept for 3-4 months, once i have some money up! I have been wondering about volunteering overseas, maybe teaching English.

So, what do you want to do in your gap year???

 

[Sabbo]

I'm going backpacking for 3 months around Europe with two of my mates from high school. Should be awesome.

 

[elisabeth]

I want to work as an au pair in Germany to improve my German and then travel around Austria, Switzerland, Turkey, Italy, Greece, Spain, France... everywhere. I'd like to go by Asia on the way back, maybe teaching English.

 

[roxy_bell]

im applying to do a Gap year in a boarding school in England...fingers crossed. Im excited this is something i really want to do..if anyone has any tips etc about applying it would be really helpful, im not planning to go through an organisation im applying privatly..

 

[demosthenes]

Going to Europe with a friend and staying with people i know over there pretty much all the time which should be good--england, ireland, france, italy, spain, germany, austria, greece, turkey, Swizerland etc. I wanna stop in Sth America on the way back home maybe for 3 or 4 months.
Maybe a year and a half away all together?

 

[something_funny]

omg!!

i wanna totally go backpacking on my gap year too!

or do one of those programs where i teach english or something in another country

i really wanna see all of europe!


but i haven't decided if i will go straight away in september or anything - cos there is schoolies! do you think that it will take alot of my money away from travelling? - i hope it won't!

 

[JimBob]

I'm going backpacking for 3 months around Europe with two of my mates from high school. Should be awesome.

I'm going around Europe for 6 months with a friend, starting at Gallipoli for Anzac Day. Wooh!

 

[Courtenay]

I did the classic english boarding school gap year...was an amazing experience, got to travel europe during holidays and half terms...

It is great, you meet the most amazing people. Even if its for just a day in your youth hostel, the can still make an impact on you...its bizarre i know.

Was great having the school as somewhere to go back to though. I made some of the most amazing friends from both the school i was wokring at, and the boys school next door. When you are so far away from home, it is so much more necessary, and perhaps harder to get close to people, but the rewards are mmense, but then there is that hard part of saying goodbye....never easy.

SO tips....eiether go through the gap organisation or tutors world wide, or you can apply yourself, however i would only recommend that if you have a,link to the school, ie you know someone who works there, or know someone who has previously been a gappie there.

 

[troubleddreamer]

What companies did you use when you went on exchange? I'm trying to get a collection of companies to work out what my options are for next year.

 

[Darth Figgy]

I travelled around Australia for 9 months in a motorhome. That was an experience. Australia is pretty darn boring. Though, Katherine Gorge, Perth, Albany, Exmouth, Adelaide and the Adelaide Hills were beautiful.

 

[ihavenothing]

I'm goin 2 sweden 4 a year on a language program there and planning also to go 2 germany, france, denmark, england, greece, morocco, switzerland, spain, iceland, etc.

 

[ballerinabarbie]

if you want to do the english school thing - i suggest you apply asap (ie. in the next few weeks) - my sister applied to tutors worldwide, but also sent off a whole lot of letters to schools in the UK (about 160 letters) and she's had a fair few replies recently (prob about 10 have places, and maybe about 20 more have replied saying they are full etc..) but i suggest getting onto it soon to get the best possible chance - i remember when i was in yr 12 i did it at the end of term 1 and ended up getting nothing

 

[Hippy La-Laa]

I'm goin 2 sweden 4 a year on a language program there and planning also to go 2 germany, france, denmark, england, greece, morocco, switzerland, spain, iceland, etc.

I am incredibly jealous.

How did you get involved in the program?

 

[Courtenay]

Definately the most important thing if you want to go to a boarding school is to do it as soon as possible. A lot of people get rejected and they fill up quickly

 

[kirabolton]

ARGHHHHH i have so been looking for something like this, how did you guys apply for things?

 

[Courtenay]

Honestly, i would recommend joing the GAP association, makes things easier!

 

[GlobalOperation]

i was thinking about it but i was going to get a RSA and gambaling thingo b4 i went so i can be earning money while im there.

is that wise?

and i didnt know there was a Gap yr thingy is it any good??

(im doing well with my thingy's and thingo's lol )

 

[beccabum]

Honestly, i would recommend joing the GAP association, makes things easier!

that is, IF you get in! Last year they had heaps more applicants than previous years and sooo many people missed out (I was one of them). I think that had something to do with the interview panel, there was one absolute BITCH who made it like it was an interrogation rather than an interview. I think they have a bit of favouritism for private school students, which is wrong because they shouldn't judge people by what school they go to.
I have a few friends on GAP, so i know a bit about it from them too. Theres heaps of competition for the places in the UK/Ireland, everyone wants to go there. THe GAPpers there are treated like kings and queens, and have heaps of respect and a good time. One friend said DO NOT go to for the caring position in Canada. She hates it. The nurses get the GAPpers to do all the really unpleasant jobs with the mentally ill. One story she told me sounded sorta illegal because someone had died and they asked her to do a few things, like dress the body *shudder*.
If you do get in, congratulations. If not, don't worry.

I also tried for exchange with Rotary but I didn't get far. When i got the info pack with all the forms, there was a sheet with a few dates of meetings that had to be attended before you go. One meeting was over 2 days, Sat/Sun, and the Saturday happend to be my high school Graduation Ball. There was no way in the world i would miss that! I talked to quite a few people in Rotary, including the ones co-ordinating the exchanges and the district govenor, and they pretty much said 'tough luck.' Because of that, i didn't bother applying, even though being an exchange student had been my dream for years. The funny thing was, at a Rotary meeting not long ago (my dad is a member) they said that the excahnge program was in danger of folding in this district because they had very few people going. Well, maybe if they were a bit more flexible they would have more people...

So, I'm hoping all these setbacks are a blessing in disguise. I'm still going OS no matter what!

 

[roxy_bell]

ive applied directly to heaps of boarding school in england for my Gap year and ive already heard back from quite a few who are interested in me...im so excited!